Who's Gonna Save You Now?
by vvindy-vvillovv
Summary: "I do wish he went out of his way to speak with you more, Ria." Blaise commented with a coy smirk. "I do love being reminded that I inhabit a home with an insane psychopath." Astoria let out a feminine scoff. "But, as I hear it, Malfoy, you've got all of this to look forward to. Am I correct to assume that a congratulations are in order for the new, happy couple?"
1. Chapter 1

While married to her third husband with a plan set in gold, Safiya Greengrass (nee Rosenburg, nee Zabini, nee Ezeo) forced herself to become the beacon of emotionless conversation and relations. She had a plan, of course. She would slaughter her husband with grace and faux deep, emotional scarring and ignore his ratty little children, Daphne and Astoria, and keep her focus on Blaise, the light of her dark eyes.

But that didn't happen, of course. Daphne was a star in the sky, talented and cunning, even at the age of five. Astoria was an absolute gem, she drew you in innocently and had no other intentions than making you play doll house or dress up. Safiya loathed them, they were her untangling. The reason she felt weird at night going to bed without tucking them in with a story and a kiss on the head. They made her skin crawl, and they also made her wipe her tears of mirth from her eyes and made her long for a daughter (or two). It didn't help that they seemed to get along fabulously with Blaise, she knew from the second she unpacked her belongings in the Greengrass Estate that leaving with her vault stacked with inherited gold would be troublesome.

After her fourth year of marriage to Harrison Greengrass, she decided to settle. Harrison was generous, kind and loving, he adored Blaise as much as he did his own girls and there was never a morning where Safiya would wake up with nothing less than a large, new bouquet of forget-me-nots, her favourite, in a large vase next to her bedside. Yes, she would muse to herself as he slept peacefully beside her, she was well on her way to loving him. She'd place a small kiss on his temple and smile guardedly, laying back and letting sleep consume her.

During their fifth year of marriage, Harrison Greengrass dropped dead. Safiya couldn't bare it, it had not been of her doing, surprisingly, it had not been of her doing at all. Instead, it had been a brutal attack from one of his old "play mates". For the first time in her life, Safiya was heartbroken. Not only had she inherited a vault full of gold, but two weeping, little girls. Their mother couldn't take them, she had never been good with children, Harrison had proclaimed when he was alive, she took off the second she realised that she was bearing a second child, running back to give him the red faced, tiny human they had created together when she was only hours old. She even had the nerve, Safiya would fume years after Harrison's death, well after her three children were married, to plead that she see her children on the weekends. Safiya allowed it, stiffly and with long hesitation, realising that they'd need a biological parent eventually, and that wretched woman was the only one who could live up to their expectations of blood.

It wasn't until Daphne and Blaise had both reached eleven within three weeks of each other that Safiya learned of the true reasoning behind Violeta Greengrass' ( _why_ she chose to keep the name was beyond anyone) newfound, slightly mad proclaim to motherhood. She had auctioned off her eldest child to none other that the maddened Theodore Nott senior. Or his wife, to be exact, but she had long since been deceased. Daphne was, in every sense of it, lured into a trap. Violeta the Wretched (as Safiya had taken to calling her behind closed doors) had promised the dead Mrs Nott Daphne's hand to her son, Theodore Jr. It was weep worthy, she had always though, the look of pure glee on Daphne's face as she found out that she was engaged to be married at age eleven. Probably since the womb, Safiya would think bitterly, plastering on a fake sincere smile and giving it to her step daughter. "Is he nice?" She would ask, body rigid. "Does he treat you well? Is he a looker?"

"Oh, he's _lovely_ , Saf!" Daphne exclaimed. "He's _such_ a gentleman. Oh, I can't wait for you to meet him!" Safiya never did, at least not when they were eleven.

"He looks like a troll." Astoria sniffed on the afternoon of September first. Daphne and Blaise were on the Hogwarts Express on their way to Hogwarts and their home had seemed to be plagued by sadness.

"Is that so?" Safiya asked with a small, amused smile.

"Definitely." Astoria confirmed with a stern nod. "I have no clue what Daph sees in him." Safiya bit her tongue from commenting about Astoria's mother. "It's going to be lonely, isn't it?" Astoria asked after a few quiet seconds in an equally as quiet voice. "With Blaise and Daph gone?"

"Yes." Safiya answered with a small curl to her lips. "But that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it? There's such – such _stigma_ about being left alone that people don't cherish the time they have with themselves." Safiya played with her fingers and Astoria stared ahead. "Being alone is good." She concluded, lifting her hands to the arms of the chair and smiling at the young girl. "Come here, my lovely." She crooned, motioning Astoria to come closer. She obeyed, lifting herself from the large sofa and over to the tiny, cramped armchair. She sat gently on Safiya's lap, allowing her hair to be stroked and head to be cradled under her stepmothers chin. "I love you so, Ria." Safiya said softly, staring into the flameless fire pit.

"I love you too, Saf." Astoria muttered, sighing contently as the front door clicked open and slammed shut. Both Safiya and Astoria rolled their eyes with undeniable annoyance.

"Ah!" A balding, slightly round man hollered, stepping into the drawing room with a large grin. "That's what I like to see! Two of my four favourite people together, and adorably so, too! Room for one more?" Mr Mirza was a funny little man. His cheeks were always tinted rosy red (some said it was to do with his constant state of joy, Safiya like to think it was to do with his insufferable alcoholic tendencies which _made_ him so joyful), he always wore his belt far too tight causing a small roll of fat to heap over it, and he had the habit of biting at his fingernails when he got too excited, which was at _least_ twice a day. The only part of him which Safiya admired was his rather full Gringott's vault.

"I've got a summer cold." Astoria said stiffly, eyeing the man with a great deal of distaste. "You can't catch it. You've got an appearance with Safiya at the Nott's annual summer get together that you absolutely cannot be ill for." Mr Mirza nodded, seeming no flaw in her argument and not realising that his date to Theodore Nott Senior's annual get together was sitting beneath the supposedly ill girl.

"Oh, yes, I supposed we do have that, don't we?" Mr Mirza mused, falling into the sofa crease with a small smile that never seemed to leave his face, not even in the death that would occur in only a few short months. He was indulged in an intoxicated slumber moments later and Astoria took the chance to look up at her stepmother with raised brows and an impatient smile. "When are you going to get around to cutting him off?" She asked dully. Safiya laughed, amused by the ten year old girls boldness in her own "hobbies" as Blaise liked to call them.

"Soon, dear. I promise."

/ / /

"Oh, Astoria, _darling_!" It was September third, the day of The Nott's gathering. Violeta stood in the doorway of the Mirza household (not quite big enough to be call an estate or a manor, but large enough not to be classified as a regular house) a large smile on her features, eyes crinkled at the sides. She held her arms open rather stupidly, almost as if she was awaiting her youngest daughter to run into them. She didn't, Astoria stayed firmly planted to her place beside Safiya, looking at her mother with slightly narrowed eyes. "Mother." The ten year old greeted with slight hesitance.

"Go and give your mother a hug." Safiya murmured, placing a hand on Astoria's shoulder, giving her a small, gentle push forwards. The look she received for imposing forced relations with her giver of life was lethally adorable and Safiya found herself looking forward to see that look turn into a real smoulder that would get her what she wanted as she grew older. She stomped forwards, wrapping her arms around Violeta almost robotically. "My little princess, how have you been?"

"I've been keeping well."

"That's fantastic, my baby." Violeta smacked a large, rather embarrassing kiss on the top of her daughters head before pulling away, that unbearable grin still in place. "Have you heard about your sister? She got into Slytherin!"

"I heard. Daphne wrote to me and Saf when she got back from dinner. We were the first ones to know, except Blaise, of course. He got into Slytherin, too." Safiya found it hard not to snigger at Astoria's not-so-subtle way of rubbing it in her mother face that no matter how hard she would try, she'd never be the first person to pop into Daphne's mind (or Astoria's, for that matter) when they had achieved something worth noting, and when you're aged ten and eleven, that's quite a lot. Violeta, of course, had never been one for catching onto anything that wasn't blaringly obvious, and Astoria had mastered the art of being just subtle enough so that her mother didn't catch on while also being equally as obvious so that someone with more than a dozen brain cells could catch on.

"Shall we get going, then?" Violeta asked cheerily, taking Astoria's bag of clothes from the house elf that lingered by her feet. Astoria turned to Safiya with a pleading look, trying to will her with her eyes to change her mind. Safiya stayed stubborn.

"Be good, Astoria." Safiya said with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Oh, Safiya, she always is for her mummy, aren't you, my angel?"

Safiya lifted her other eyebrow, looking down to Astoria, who stayed silent while continuing to beg her stepmother with her wide, pleading eyes. "Hmm," Safiya hummed. "I bet she is. I'll see you Friday, Astoria." The young girl sneered as her mother led her out of the Mirza residence.

/ / /

It would scare Safiya eventually the way Astoria was so brilliant at manipulating those around her, but when she was ten, it amused her to no end, she even found it rather adorable. "I'll miss him, so." She sniffled, mopping up the fat, blotchy tears that streamed down her face. "He reminded me of my father." Blaise and Daphne lingered by the table of drinks, both doing their best to look sad and mope, leaving the centre of the attention to go to Astoria, who was doing an excellent job of letting the fake tears stream. Safiya didn't have to do much, just stand and look unbearably sad, if anyone suspected anything, they wouldn't dare say to her face, to intimidated by her striking beauty and new status as widow – available to any man within the room, married or not.

"Oh, you poor dear." The elderly looking woman, who Safiya couldn't quite place, wrapped Astoria in an unexpected embrace, the pink of her clothing attire (rather inappropriate for a wake, Safiya thought) straining as she moved. "He was such a good man, Jamison was. Such an asset to his department. It's a shame to see him go." Safiya resisted the urge to roll her eyes – Jamison Mirza was dead ( _hah!_ ) awful at his job, the Ministry only kept him on because he made a few drunken spills with his money into the Auror department when he was feeling particularly friendly and charitable – which had been _a lot_.

It was three days before Christmas, two days before Christmas Eve, and the mood with sullen in the Mirza household. Family members of the recently deceased skulked around, there was about four of them – the rest of Jamison's family had cut him off years ago when he made alcohol his new best friend. Snow had fallen across the grounds like a comforting blanket and a large _For Sale_ sign had been dug into the ground before the gate. Safiya felt a strange sense of relief, she really didn't realise before how much of a drag being Mrs Mirza would have been. Jamison was never sober, Safiya didn't think she wanted him to be. She had only ever known him in his state of near constant intoxication and she could tolerate that easy, amendable man. Perhaps, she would muse days after his wake, he would have been easier sober, perhaps the flutter of her eyelashes wouldn't have gone unnoticed and she could have been rid of him before Blaise and Daphne started their first year of school. Perhaps Astoria, sweet, little Astoria, wouldn't have had to mop up his vomit from the toilet floor countless times had she left him to go cold turkey like he had always wished before a tumbler of fifty year old Firewhiskey was shoved into his rounded hands. She never dwelled upon those thoughts, what was done was done. He was gone now. It would be only her and Astoria for a few months until she decided to find another amendable, naïve man to set her sights upon.

Safiya looked at the young girl with a small, adoring smile. She played the part so well, Safiya mused internally, she had a way of making something so morbid into a piece of art.

/ / /

Christmas and the New Year past in a bit of a blur, there was no reporters this time, thankfully, Safiya had learned her lesson after her husband before Mr Mirza had passed. He was a very successful lawyer and a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and so naturally, any magazine reporter was attracted to his wealth and status, much like Safiya had been, but at least she didn't try to take pictures of the deceased's wife who was, yet again, a widow.

April thirteenth was a special day in the Greengrass household (which Safiya had resided in after Mr Mirza's passing) with Astoria's eleventh birthday. Spring hadn't yet set in the land of England and every morning, a thin layer of frost blanketed the grass of the Greengrass Estate but soon melted around brunch time, the frost had lifted and the grass would remain damp and moist until dinner. Safiya liked the grounds best like this, there was something about being caught in the middle of winter and spring that made her aesthetically pleased. "Mother said she was taking me and Daphne out later." Astoria said, sipping at her mug of tea. "She wants to give me my surprise that she's been badgering on about for so long."

"Did she give you a setting?" Safiya asked, her mind racking Astoria's wardrobe for a fitting dress becoming of a newly turned eleven year old. Astoria shook her head. "Typical." Safiya sneered. "Tell me, how does that insufferable piece of work expect you to dress for the occasion if she does not give a dress code? She's more than likely trying to make me look bad." Safiya stared bitterly into her cup. "If I dress you too formal then she'll thrust you tasks that would be impossible in a corset and proper clothing. If I dress you too casual she'll complain of the embarrassment that was brought on her little girls." Safiya huffed, setting her mug down and getting to her feet. "I don't suppose she gave you a time, Ria?" Astoria shook her head. "Daph?"

"No, ma'am."

"Insufferable shrew." She muttered. "Both of you finish up your breakfast. Astoria, I'll lay out your clothes and when you're done, Daph, I'll help you choose something." Safiya tucked in her chair and looked at her son. "Are you visiting any friends, today?"

Blasise shook his head. "Malfoy's busy with something his mother wants him to do. Nott's father won't let him out the house (Daphne pouted and made a sound of slight defeat) and the other two blokes are grunting buffoons and not worth my time."

"We can spend the day together, then. We'll go out for lunch in Diagon Alley and look around some of the shops." The corners of Blaise's mouth lifted into a small smile as he nodded. "Fantastic. If the door or floo goes, Blaise, it's probably Violeta. Antagonise her best you can for me, won't you?"

"Of course, mother."

/ / /

Daphne fell through the Floo Network at four minutes past five in the evening, Violeta following closely behind. "I'll go pack her things, my sweet." Violeta murmured softly, walking through the house as if she owned it, brushing her fingers through her eldest daughter's hair as she moved. Safiya resented the fact that she still knew her way around, glaring fiercely as she walked past. Daphne knelt on the floor, staring at the dwindling green flames that slowly turned back to their orange state. Safiya waited a few, long seconds, awaiting the arrival of the youngest Greengrass girl. When she did not come, she sat a little straighter. "Daphne," Safiya began softly, looking inquisitively at the young girl "where is Astoria?"

"Mother's getting her things." She mumbled, not looking up from the flames.

"Is everything alright?" Safiya asked sharply, attracting the attention of Blaise, who looked to his step sister with curiosity.

"I'm unsure." Daphne answered eventually. "Blaise," she said at length, not moving to give him even a small glance "we were just at the Malfoy's."

"So is what he said true?" Blaise asked, brows lifting. Safiya glowered and sat in silence. Daphne twisted her head, her pale face turned a bleak shade of grey and her eyes as wide as galleons.

"Yes, Malfoy was correct."

Blaise let out a low whistle. "Bloody hell."

"What?" Safiya asked sharply, looking between the two twelve year olds. "What is going on? Why were you at Malfoy Manor? Daphne? Blaise?"

Daphne slowly turned to Safiya. "Mother has arranged for them to wed on her eighteenth." Safiya's mouth ran dry. "She's packing Astoria's things right now, she's staying with them until term begins. Mrs Malfoy will drop Astoria here on her way to Kings Cross."

"That'll be me off, Daphne, dear –"

"You atrocious, detestable, brazen shrew!" Safiya screeched, standing from her chair with force and staring at Violeta as she re-entered.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't pretend that you never heard me you utter, _cow_!" Safiya was breathing had, her heart hammering rapidly against her chest. "Blaise, Daphne, please retreat upstairs." She said calmly, not removing her eyes from Violeta.

"No." Violeta huffed. "You do _not_ order my daughter –"

"Daphne, upstairs. Now."

Daphne stared between her two mother figures, eyes wide as she was forced, for the first time, to pick who had more authority. "Sweetheart, don't –" Violeta began, her words going dry in her mouth as Daphne grabbed onto Blaise's sleeve, tugging him from the sofa and manoeuvring with him out of the drawing room. "I'm sorry, mother." She whispered as she past the gobsmacked woman. Violeta said nothing as the two young children thundered up the stairs.

"Mature." Violeta scoffed. "Making my children pick between their real mother and the slaughtering whore they live with." She sniffed the air, sticking up her chin. "Of _course_ Daphne was going to pick you. She lives with you, she'd be faced with your wrath had she went with where her heart truly lies."

"I don't know who you think you are, Violeta, but I assure you –"

"I'm their mother, sweet cheeks." Violeta drawled, a cruel smirk sitting on her features. " _I_ am their mother. You are nothing but the maid who took them in."

"I took them in because Harrison thought it best. You are nothing but their mother when it suits you! When you want to flaunt them around! Who is it they go to with problems or when they need help or assurance? Is it you?" Safiya let the question hang in the air for a few moments. "Is it _fuck_! While Daphne and Astoria may not share my blood, I am the closest thing they have to a _real_ –"

Violeta raised her hand and slapped Safiya sharp across the face. Safiya's cheek burned red.

"I haven't been the best mother, I'll own up to that." Violeta said lowly, eyes going dark and heavy lidded. "But I _am_ their blood. Blood is everything, Safiya. While they may not come to me with small trivial issues such as crushes or how their day has went, and they may not write me first or every day, but I _am_ their mother. _I_ make the decisions. What I see fit goes. I happen to think that setting up marriages for both of my children is the proper way to go about it. It has been set in stone since they were minutes old. Daphne will grow up and expand the Nott family line and Astoria will do the same with the Malfoy's. It is what is _best_."

"You're stripping them of their freedom, Violeta." Safiya trilled sadistically. "They'll grow to _loathe_ you."

"They can loathe me all they want when they are in wealthy, respectable marriages and don't have to marry and re-marry for the rest of their lives like _some_ , Safiya. I will sleep well at night knowing that Theodore is looking out for Daphne and Lucius for Astoria." Violeta took a handful of powder, a pile of Astoria's dressed and undergarments in her hand. "That is all there is to it."

"Astoria hates those dresses." Safiya spat, eyeing the cloth. She resented the way that this was what she was dissolved to, a woman who insults a mothers choice of clothes for her child, but what else was she to do? Violeta was, as much as Safiya loathed it, correct. She was nothing more than a guardian to Astoria and Daphne and, eventually, they would be grown women and would have no reason at all to visit her while she withered away at her son's expense. "The red one she finds itchy and it irritates her skin. The green one, the one _you_ gifted her, was sized wrongly. You sent off Daphne's sizes and Astoria is smaller than her sister."

"Astoria will survive an oversized dress and itchy cloth." She stepped into the fireplace, looking at Safiya with hard eyes. "Like it or not, dear, whether rain or shine, Astoria _will_ marry Draco Malfoy." Violeta said stonily, throwing down the floo powder and vanishing in a cloud of green flames and smoke.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where are we?" Daphne asked as she strode by her mother up a gravel path leading to one of the most magnificently dark houses she had ever seen in her life. It was large, larger than the Greengrass Estate for sure; the panels were coated a dark grey, not a scratch or chip visible; grand, white pillars lined the front porch neatly, an even spacing between them; and still, black curtains all primly arranged and identical in each of the large windows. "A friends house." Violeta responded, not slowing her pace to give the two sets of little legs that chased for her so frantically a chance to rest. Astoria, who was the shortest and struggling the most, huffed, breaking into a jog to close the gap between herself and her sister.

"We've been walking for _ages_." Astoria whined. "Why didn't we just floo? We should have just flooed."

"Safiya's house is not connected to this house, princess, that's why we had to apparate." Violeta drew her wand out and twiddled it between her fingers. Astoria eyed it warily.

"Where even _are_ we?" Daphne asked again, this time with less patience as her breathing started to become ragged with tiredness.

"Wiltshire." Violeta responded, tucking her hair behind her ear, giving her eldest daughter a smile. "Look at you two." She mused, lips pouting together as she stared down her children. "My beautiful girls. Both of you in double figures, how magical!"

"I turned ten last year." Astoria responded drily. "And as far as I am aware, ten is a double digit number."

Violeta seemed to have ignored that. "Both of you are so beautiful, taking after your mother, of course!" Daphne and Astoria shared a slight grimace with each other. "Are you excited for your gift, Astoria?"

"Is my gift in this house?" Astoria asked, face screwing up. "Why didn't you keep it in your own home?" To herself, she mused of all the answers that Safiya would snipe about how her mother would never have a children's item in her home because that would drive away all of her long string of lovers at the fear of commitment to such a wretched woman. "Part of your gift resides in the walls of this house, yes."

"Part?" Daphne echoed. "I only got one gift for _my_ birthday!"

"Eleven is a special age, my love. Astoria will be receiving her Hogwarts letter, soon, I expect."

"Not really." Astoria scoffed, forcing her arm through Daphne's to keep herself at a steady pace. "I'll get it sometime during the summer. Daph's still got a term of school left before the long holidays. It's only Easter."

"Time will just _fly_ past, my dear, don't you worry." Violeta trilled as they – _finally_ – reached the porch steps.

"Whose home is this, ma?" Daphne asked quietly as they mounted the steps. Violeta remained silent, stepping up to the door bell and pressing it firmly. Daphne slinked back with caution as Astoria stood forwards, chin tilted in the air and her eyes narrowed at her mother's irritating silence. A loud, old fashioned ringing noise sounded through the walls of the inner house which only served to put Daphne even more on edge. Astoria stood straighter, pushing her shoulders back and pursing her lips with anticipation.

The door creaked open and a tall, beautiful, pale blonde woman revealed herself, the house elf at her feet opened the door further. The woman was frowning, making her features look pretty off putting, Astoria thought, but when she looked to Violeta, she smiled and instantly looked ten times better. She had a wonderful smile, she began to wish that the woman smiled more.

"Is it that time, already?" The woman's voice was like a lullaby, aloof and feminine.

"Indeed it is, my friend." Violeta grinned, placing her hand on Astoria's shoulder. The woman looked down at her and seemed to go into full scrutiny mode. Her eyes bore into every visible inch of Astoria. Seconds later, she met her eye with a kind smile. "Daphne, step forwards." Violeta ordered stonily, a difference from her usual carefree, piercing screech of a voice. Perhaps, Astoria smirked as she thought, her mother tried hard to copy the beautiful woman. If it to be true, Violeta had failed miraculously. Daphne took a step forwards, her brows creased with confusion. "These are my daughters. You may have heard of my eldest, Daphne. She's twelve."

"Ah, Daphne." The woman smiled. "My son speaks very highly of you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Daphne said tersely, her body going stiff as her brows relaxed.

"I'm Astoria." The woman looked back to her. "It's my birthday. I'm eleven. How do you do?" Astoria curtseyed and Daphne blushed, having forgotten her manners.

"I am wonderful, thank you, Astoria." The woman smiled. "Eleven, huh? So you'll be off to Hogwarts after the summer, I'm assuming? Or do you have plans to attend a different school?"

"I will be off to Hogwarts with my sister." Astoria replied. "I am sorry if this sounds rude, ma'am, but if I have met you before, I cannot recall."

"Forgive me, young Astoria." The woman apologised. "I must have forgotten my manners in amongst all this… excitement, shall we call it." Astoria smiled kindly, unsure what was so exciting about all of this average exchange of conversation. "I am Narcissa Malfoy."

"It is a pleasure to see you, Missus Malfoy." Astoria bowed her head. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you." The so-called Narcissa Malfoy smiled. "The three of you, do come in. My husband and son will be returning shortly, but in the meantime, tea, coffee, juice and biscuits shall be served just down the corridor, the first right and then the second door on the right." Narcissa Malfoy stepped behind the door, giving Daphne, Astoria and Violeta space to enter her home, muttering strict orders at the house elf by her feet.

Daphne lingered behind her sister before stepping in fully when nothing sprung out and attacked Astoria for stepping into the grand house. Violeta, however, didn't follow on, opting to linger by the house owner. Astoria knew the signs of two or more adults wanting a private, grown up conversation with no "little ears" (as Safiya called them) around to bear witness and blabber. "Daph, it's the _second door_ to the right. Not the first, don't you listen?"

"Sorry." Daphne muttered, closing the wrong door with a slight, startling slam. Astoria rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to apologise to the homeowner on her sisters nervous behalf when Violeta started taking with slight urgency. It had seemed, Astoria mused to herself, eyes sparking mischievously, that the slamming of the door had led the two adults to think that the two girls had reached their destination and were in the presence of only one another. This, however, was not the case. Astoria and Daphne were at liberty to listen to every single word spoken by the Missus Malfoy and their mother.

"Have you told him, Narcissa?" Violeta asked with urgency. It panicked Astoria slightly to hear her mother sound so frantically intense as opposed to just her usual state of regular intensity. "Have you told Draco?" Narcissa didn't appear to reply, and if she did, it would be through the power of looks alone. "You _said_ –"

"This is my _son_ , Violeta." Narcissa replied crisply. "This is his _future_ Lucius and I are dictating. There was no reasoning to why he shouldn't have known sooner. Just because you do not wish Astoria –"

"There was no pressing need for me to tell her before the due time, Narcissa. I was under the impression that we would reveal it to our children together." Violeta sounded impatient and slightly cranky. "If I had known that you had jumped the gun, Narcissa, I wouldn't have bothered taking time out of the little I see my girls to be –"

"I don't expect you to understand, Violeta," Narcissa's tone went cold "but when you have children and you care for them with all your heart and you'd give up your world for them, you see the promises and words that you kept over a decade ago to loosen slightly."

"How _dare_ you insinuate that I don't care for my children!" Violeta whispered harshly.

"I am not saying that you bare no feelings for them." Narcissa replied smoothly and from beside Astoria, Daphne bristled, grabbing onto her younger sisters arm and tugging harshly. Astoria shook her head and pressed her finger to her mouth, silently shushing her. "Of course you do, you do not go through nine months of pregnancy and then the labour to hate the child you carried within your womb. All I am implying, Violeta, is that some people lack… maternal instinct."

"I have _plenty_ -"

"I have no quarrels about that, my friend." Narcissa interrupted. "You have enough motherly instinct for the amount of time you spend with them. It is not full time, so you do not have the same amount as myself. Had you, your youngest would have been in the know for as long as my son, if not longer."

"In the know?" Daphne mouthed, face crinkling with confusion. Astoria hushed her again.

"Perhaps you are correct." Violeta allowed at last. "But that still doesn't discount for the fact that you never told me. Now Astoria will find out that she is set to marry your son when –"

"Astoria's marrying _Draco Malfoy_?" Daphne stepped out from around the corner with wide eyes, mouthing hanging open in shock.

"Daphne!" Violeta shrieked with surprise. "What are you –"

"Mother, answer me!" Daphne yelped. "Don't play any more games!"

"Daphne." Astoria muttered, stepping out to be with Daphne as the older girl shook with silent rage. "Daph, hush, it's fine."

"Astoria –"

" _Daphne_." Astoria said sharply, widening her eyes and raising her brows up at her sister, dominating her into silence. "That's enough."

"You – You two were –"

"They were lurking, Violeta." Narcissa said knowingly. "You know children, listening in on the grown-ups talking is adventurous. Actually, maybe you _wouldn't_ know children." Astoria couldn't help but smirk, the tone and word choice flowing from Narcissa's mouth reminding her strongly of Safiya.

"You knew they were standing there?" Violeta blanched.

"Boys are more mischievous, although less subtle." Narcissa replied without answering Violeta's question directly. Astoria had to repress the mad urge to laugh, her mother was constantly skipping around questions, answering in riddle like talk and watching Mrs Malfoy do the exact same to her was impeccably amusing. "Had I not known that the drawing room doors are ensured by the elves that they do not slam, I would not have noticed."

Violeta looked past the lady of the house and frowned. "Astoria –"

"You need not explain yourself." Astoria cut in, forcing herself to smile even though the idea of marrying a boy she had never met (vaguely recalled from Daphne's letters, but that was the extent of that) was making her rather sour. "I should not have been so foolish. You had arranged Daphne to marry that Nott boy, why would I allow myself to think you would have spared me? While you may be my blood, mama, your love for Daphne and I does not run so deeply in your veins."

"Don't be so dramatic, love." Violeta's cheeks burned bright red. Maybe it was being exposed in front of such a wealthy, respectable and beautiful woman such as Narcissa Malfoy, or perhaps it was being ridiculed by a newly turned eleven year old, possibly a healthy mixture of the two. "Draco is a nice boy, you'll be perfectly –"

"He could be the nicest person on earth, mother, but I would still feel the same. You got to choose your marriage to papa, did you not? What happened to you to make you lose your faith in us?"

"Lose my faith?" Violeta echoed. "Dear, I have all of the faith in the world in my two girls. Let us, please, stop the chatter about this nonsense."

Astoria mulled over the thought for a few seconds before relenting. "Very well, then." She conceded with a tight nod. "I don't know about you, Daphne, but I am in dire need of refreshments. Second room on the right, is it, Mrs Malfoy?"

"Please, call me Narcissa, I insist."

"Very well, if you insist."

"And yes, dear, second door on the right." There was something less patronising about the way Narcissa Malfoy used pet names. It was loving and caring, something Astoria had never experienced with her own mother. Her future mother-in-law had shown more affection and love in her tone than her own mother had in the five minutes they had been acquainted.

"Daphne." Astoria muttered, grabbing onto her sister's hand and giving it a small tug. "Come on." Daphne spared a look at their mother, face contorting into a devilish sneer, one Safiya would definitely be proud of, Astoria thought. The two sisters pattered into the correct room, listening to the soft murmurs of two of the now three aspects of mother she had conversing. Astoria rolled her eyes when the door clicked softly behind her, how she would dread to have all three motherly figures in a room at the same time. "Is he nice?" She asked after a prolonged silence.

"Draco?" Daphne asked, nose crinkling.

"No, Merlin."

Daphne huffed, sitting on the edge of the sofa neatly. "He's… very opinionated."

"Is that just a kinder way of saying he's a git?" Astoria asked, stomach bubbling with dread. Daphne smiled bashfully, confirming what she had just said. "Oh. Alright. Maybe he's nicer away from school?"

"Yeah." Daphne said, obviously trying her best to be enthusiastic – she was failing tremendously. "He's probably nicer away from the mudbloods and in the comfort –"

"Daph, I'm going to stop you right there." Astoria cut in, walking to the closed, grand windows that she had admired from the front of the house during their long walk up the gravel path and staring out to the acres of land. "I can't stand talk of this – this – just _this_."

"We should write to Safiya." Daphne said immediately. "She's _always_ loathed mother! She'd set her straight, I just _know_ she will."

"It would be rendered pointless." Astoria clipped, running two long, bony fingers under her eyes as they dampened against her will. "Safiya cannot protect me forever. I'll have to fend for myself. I can withstand a marriage, I know I can. I'll – I'll –" Astoria stopped, watching a black horse and carriage trot slowly up the pathway. "Maybe I should turn to Safiya." She muttered, turning from the window at once in favour of walking to the fireplace and staring at its jewels. "I should – I listen to her, Daphne, and I listen well. I keep my ears to the floor. I've listened to her rambling and her – her _methods_. I mean, how hard could it really be? She's done it without so much as blinking –"

"Astoria Greengrass!" Daphne shrieked, mouth falling open with utter shock. "You cannot – you simply –" Daphne stood from the couch, crossing angrily to the fireplace and leaning close to Astoria's ear. "You will _not_ murder Draco Malfoy!" She hissed lowly.

"And why not, exactly?" Astoria asked curtly, staring adamantly at the fireplace top. Daphne exhaled harshly, her breath tickling the back of her neck.

"Do you know how respected his family is? There isn't a name in the wizarding world more well-known than his. Not even Safiya is mental enough to do that!"

"I'll be discreet." Astoria said adamantly. "Look – _look_ at all the dark artefacts on his _fireplace_! Merlin only knows how much he's got elsewhere in his home, I'll just –"

"You'll just get a one way ticket to bloody _Azkaban_!"

"Oh, girls, must you talk about something so morbid?" The door to the drawing room had opened and Astoria's heart gave a lurch. Daphne wasn't so subtle about her distressed surprise, letting out a small squeak at the sight before them. Narcissa Malfoy stood at Violeta's left; a blonde, older man standing behind her almost protectively; and even though she couldn't see him directly, a smaller set of legs were visibly seen behind the man of the house. _Hello, husband_ Astoria thought leeringly, trying to repress the smirk that threatened to show.

"How long have you been there?" Daphne asked hurriedly. Astoria let out a strangled, impatient sigh at her sister's lack of subtlety.

"Scaredy cat." Astoria proclaimed, turning to look at her sister with a theatrical frown. "We were only admiring your… your fireplace antiques, shall we say, Mrs Mal – _Narcissa_ , sorry. I find them rather mesmerising, Daphne, however, not so much."

"You know what they are?" The older man asked, raising a critical eyebrow.

"Indeed I do, sir. I've heard and seen pictures of a few, Safiya has an entire shelf of books with these types of artefacts, but let us not dwell upon those facts. Daphne will only wet herself and I wouldn't be able to stand that embarrassment."

Daphne squeaked with embarrassment, pinching Astoria's arm roughly. She hissed out with pain, twisting away from her sisters long nails which were out for blood. " _Don't_ be insufferable!" Daphne grumbled into Astoria's ear.

"Do you let your personal grooming go to pot at school? Look at your _nails_ , Daph! You'll scratch out your eyes with them!"

" _Girls_." Violeta pleaded, looking incredibly out of her comfort zone as her daughters bickered openly. Astoria sighed and Daphne slumped.

"My apologies." Astoria looked at the older man and held his gaze. "I have seemingly lost my manners. I'm Astoria Greengrass, it's a pleasure to meet you." She curtseyed for the second time that day.

"Likewise, young Miss Greengrass." The man crooned, sidestepping around his wife, placing a hand gently on her shoulder as he did so. It was clear that he cared for her and despite her better judgement, Astoria found herself wondering – no, _wishing_ that her own marriage would, perhaps, blossom into something as caring as her fiancés parents. "Lucius Malfoy." The man – Lucius – stuck his hand out. Astoria grabbed it, shook it firmly and took a step back.

"Mr Malfoy, this is my older sister, Daphne. I believe that she attends school with your son." Daphne went crimson as for the second time that day her manners had been left outside of the brass gates of the Malfoy household.

"We're in Slytherin together, actually." Daphne spoke up, turning to face Mr Malfoy fully.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Greengrass." Lucius shook Daphne's hand and took a step back, turning to where the two mothers and unsought boy stood. "Draco," Mr Malfoy said icily "do you wish to keep people waiting?"

"Not at all, father." The boy stepped through the small space between his own mother and Astoria's, making his first full appearance. Astoria smiled kindly, silently revelling in the fact that Draco Malfoy was much more handsome than Theodore Nott. While a little angular and sharp around his facial features, his pale skin, eyes and hair made for a wonderful combination. "It is good to be seeing you again, Daphne." Astoria looked to her sister, a single brow flicking up. He didn't seem as bad as Daphne had portrayed him only moments before.

"Likewise, Draco."

"Draco, this is Astoria." Narcissa said slowly. A look of mild irritation crossed the young boys face but he did not act upon it.

Astoria stuck out her hand in the direction of her future husband and smiled. "Astoria Greengrass. Charmed."

"Draco Malfoy." The pair shook hands briefly. Astoria smirked as Draco dropped her hand and stuffed it into the pockets of his robes immediately after contact.

"Draco, why don't you give Astoria your gift?" Narcissa prompted, holding out a small black box. Astoria's heart went into over drive, her eyes flicking to the ring Daphne wore on her right ring finger.

"Gift?" Astoria repeated, hoping she sounded calm and collected even though she was not.

"For your birthday." Draco grumbled, holding out the small box out. Astoria took it, rolling it about in her hands awkwardly. "There's something in it." Draco said abruptly in a rather rude tone. "I didn't just get you a box."

Astoria exhaled harshly through her nose, shooting him an irate look. Lifting the lid of the box, she felt Daphne lean over her shoulder, hoping to get a better look. Her gasp was almost deafening. "It's very pretty." Astoria said quietly, staring down at the glistening silver ring studded with at least three dozen diamonds.

" _Pretty_?" Daphne repeated in awe. "Ria, it's gorgeous."

Astoria forced herself to smile. "Is it a…?" She couldn't bring herself to say the words _engagement ring_. Instead, she looked to Narcissa. Narcissa gave her an encouraging smile, nodding her head. Her heart sunk, picking the ring out of the velvet and handing the box to Daphne. Her sister took it with a smile. Astoria slid the ring down the ring finger on her more dominant hand.

Her left hand immediately felt heavier as did her heart. "Thank you." She muttered, clasping her hands together and resting them on her stomach. "Daphne'll – Daphne marries first, will she, mother?" Astoria asked, meeting her mother's eyes and trying to ignore the cotton feeling in her mouth.

"Daphne and Theodore will wed in the Easter holidays of their seventh year." Violeta reported, a small smile perched on her face.

"And I – _we'll_ wed the following year?"

"Correct."

Astoria smiled tersely. "Alright."

/ / /

"You'll be staying with Lucius and Narcissa for a week before each term." Violeta said, fiddling with the tips of Astoria's long, wavy chestnut brown hair.

"But _why_?" She demanded, pouting a little and folding her arms across her chest. "Daphne doesn't have to stay with the Nott's, does she? Why do _I_ have to?"

"Daphne and Theodore are in the same year and the same house. They have classes together, they share the same common room, they have time to bond over class work but you and Draco won't have much of –"

"This is barbaric, mother!" Astoria proclaimed, stepping back from Violeta, her hair being tugged from her mothers' thin, grasping fingers. "There is not a single doubt that I'll get into Slytherin! Safiya –"

"This isn't about her." Violeta said sharply, eyes flaring dangerously. "This is about the course of your future, Astoria, a future that I have planned very – no. You will let me speak, Astoria Greengrass, you will not interrupt me while I am speaking, am I making this perfectly clear?" Violeta had begun to sound frantic, her voice getting higher. Astoria closed her mouth and nodded silently. "You will reside in Malfoy Manor for a week before each term begins – Christmas, Easter and summer. In your placement you will get to know Draco better. It is duty, Astoria, a duty you are required to follow through with. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Violeta nodded curtly, mouth pursing and eyes narrowing slightly. "I've brought you some clothes, night gowns and the lot. I'm sure if I have left anything out, you can owl your sister and get her to send along a few things."

"Yes, mother."

"I'll see you soon, my dear." Violeta said lightly, cupping her daughters face with a single hand.

"Must you go, mama?" Astoria asked, feeling an odd desire to not see her mother retreat through floo, something that usually brought her much relief. "Why don't you stay for a little while? We can – we can take a walk together, spend some time alone. We're very seldom alone, mama, and I'll be off to school soon and I'll only see you less."

"We still have an entire term to spend time together, my dear and after that, all summer." Violeta soothed, completely oblivious to Astoria's urgent need to not be left alone in a house of strangers.

Astoria decided to make this much clear. "I don't know the Malfoy's, mother, I don't want to be alone with them – not just yet."

"Oh, Astoria." Violeta sighed, looking down at her with a small smile. "Draco is to be your husband, you'll have to get to know him eventually." Violeta crouched, face coming level to Astoria's. "Narcissa is my friend, my love. She'll take good care of you. And Lucius is a good, knowledgeable man. You'll learn loads from him and you enjoy learning, don't you my petal?" Astoria's shoulders slumped as she reluctantly nodded. Violeta smiled excellently. "When I go, why don't you get Draco to show you his family's library? It will take you forever to read your way through all of their books. And I'm sure if you ask kindly, you'll get a few games of explosive snap or even some chess."

"I don't want to be here, mama." Astoria whined, looking to the ground.

Violeta sighed, her feet already turning towards the fireplace as she itched to get away and back to her life. "You're a big girl, Azzy, you'll be fine. I must be off now, my darling, be a good girl for the Malfoy's, won't you?"

"Of course, mother." Astoria grumbled, looking back up to her mother, shuffling from foot to foot as her stomach bubbled with anxiety.

"There's my girl." Violeta beamed, picking up a small handful of powder and making her way to the fireplace. "I love you dearly, Astoria."

"Yeah." Astoria muttered, watching as her mother became engulfed by the green roaring flames until she was no more.

"You don't say it back to your mother?"

Astoria let out a little squeal, twisting around to look at the culprit who scared the wits from her. Draco Malfoy, proving to be the ever pompous prick, just like Daphne had insinuated, stood in all his glory, smirking with his pale brows raised.

"How long have you been standing there?" Astoria asked, ridiculously breathless.

"Not so much standing as lurking, really." Draco shrugged, tucking his hands into the pockets of his robes. "I was hoping you'd talk a little more, actually, I want to get the gist of the… _real_ you, shall we say, not the façade you'll spend the rest of your life portraying behind our closed doors. And out of them, of course."

"Who says I'll be dawning a façade?" Astoria asked, raising a perfectly arched brow. "I have no intentions of being anyone other than myself. It isn't like you can back out of this arrangement if you don't like who I am, anyway. Divorce is not an option that can even be tolerated and by the way I heard our mothers speak earlier this has been arranged since I was barely minutes old, so there's no backing out from the ceremony, either. We're stuck with each other."

Draco gave a rather carefree shrug. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"You asked a question?"

"Indeed." Draco walked forwards from the doorway, stepping into the drawing room. "You don't say _I love you_ to your mother?"

Astoria frowned, wondering why he thought his question to be of importance. "What does it matter?"

"Call it curiosity." Draco widened his eyes theatrically, taking a step towards her.

"To answer your question, no, I do not say that to my mother." Astoria wrapped her arms around the front of her tightly beginning to feel rather uncomfortable with his close proximity. "Do _you_ say it back?" She retorted, aiming to subject him into a flurry of blushing mess. It backfired.

"I do." He answered shortly, not looking embarrassed at all. "But _why_ though?" He drawled, stepping past her in favour of dropping down onto the sofa. Astoria's body turned with him but she stayed rooted into place. "Do you not love her?"

"I guess not, no." She replied, staring back at him levelly. "I _like_ her, I guess, but my feelings do not extend into the realm of love. There are few people who I do."

"Your sister? Zabini?"

"Correct, correct and my step-mother." Astoria wondered briefly as Draco shrugged and studied her if he was thinking about her capacity to extend her tiny inner circle of love towards him in the near or far future, but he opened his mouth and all wondrous thoughts were to be just that – a wonder.

"You love your step mother more than your _actual_ mother?"

"My _actual_ mother left me and my sister because she was scared. How can I love someone who has frequent tendencies to abandon her children?"

"How could you love someone who has no blood relations to you?" Draco challenged. Astoria got the vague notion that he was only bothering with her because, for the moment, she was sparkling and new.

"How could you love a wife?" She retorted. Almost immediately after seeing Draco's face pull together as he stared at her with confusion, she continued. "How could you love a husband? How could you love a friend? How could you love the dear, old family dog? You do not have to be joined by blood to feel love."

"We don't own a dog." Draco retorted with a small smirk. Astoria rolled her eyes.

/ / /

"So, young Miss Astoria," Mr Malfoy said conversationally as they sat around an overly large dinner table with dinner spread out in front of them, still steaming hot "what is it you like?"

"I find it easier to identify the things I dislike, personally. For instance, I dislike loud noises."

"Loud noises." Draco repeated slowly, attempting to share a somewhat significant look with his father, who dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Go on, Astoria." Mr Malfoy encouraged.

"I dislike books with pictures. I find them presumptuous."

"How am I supposed to figure out the things you _like_? Are you making this whole business difficult on _purpose_?" Draco exclaimed, eyes blowing wide as he most likely mulled over the rest of his life with a girl who could only identify the things she hates in life and finds pictures within books to be presuming.

"All you do is take the things I dislike and ensure with _all_ of your mite that I don't encounter them." Astoria stabbed at some pasta with a smile, shovelling it into her mouth as Draco rolled her eyes, jabbing his fork at his own fusilli with vigour. "A few of the things I do like, though," Astoria said at last once her mouthful was gone, placing her fork down in the bowl "is learning. I enjoy learning. And plants. I do rather like plants."

"You're interested in _herbology_?" Draco sniped, looking at her with disbelief.

"I guess, in a way. I find plants rather fascinating, but I would not like to grow my own. They'll only wither, anyway, so what's the point on planting them?"

"Why begin reading a book if you're only going to finish it?" Draco countered. Astoria smiled pleasantly, wanting nothing more than to reach across the table and wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze until –

"I enjoy looking at art. Abstract, life, the lot, really. Safiya's got an artist brother and he visits quite a bit and paints and draws pictures of the landscapes and whatever takes his fancy."

"Do you draw, Astoria?" Narcissa asked politely, smiling rather sincerely.

"I do not. I find it aggravating when what happens on canvas doesn't resemble what I thought up in my mind." Astoria took a small sip of her water, looking over the rim of the glass at her fiancé with a raised brow. "What about you, Draco?" She asked, setting down her glass. "What is it you enjoy?"

"When you ask me that, are you really asking what I hate?"

"Actually, I was trying to be patronising, but if you want to answer my question go ahead." Astoria simpered, hoping her smile would come across as teasing and not how she felt; murderous. Draco fumbled for a few seconds, seeming to struggle with picking up his fork.

"Who do you think you are?" He fumed, face going a rather pleasant shade of pink.

"Why, were you not mentally present when we had our introductions?" Astoria chided, resting her cheek on the knuckles of her left hand, repressing the urge to move it when the new ring she bore pressed harshly into her skin. "I'm Astoria Greengrass. Seven years from now, darling, people will be toasting our united force." Pink went to red and Astoria beamed.

"I like Quidditch." Draco muttered rather sourly, looking down at his plate possibly to hide his darkened blush and even so, it was rendered pointless, the tips of his ears had been dyed, too.

"Ooh, absolutely shocking. A prepubescent boy taking a liking to Quidditch? Definitely valuable information to handle, for sure." Astoria drawled, stabbing at the last of her pasta and shovelling it into her mouth. Draco looked from his plate with a heavy lidded glower. "You look confused, _darling_." Astoria purred and from the corner of her eye, she caught Mr Malfoy looking thoroughly confused as to how to react to the scene unfolding in front of him and Narcissa Malfoy smiling down at her plate, already deciding on being amused rather than opposed. "I was just passing off a comment that it's not exactly secret that all boys like Quidditch. Blaise does, surprisingly, and he hardly likes much." Draco distracted himself from his heated face by sipping daintily at his water. Astoria hadn't known the boy long and she already knew that his behaviour was entirely out of character. She couldn't wait to tell Daphne. "Anyway, let us pretend my comment was never uttered." Astoria started to wonder if Safiya would grin at her behaviour towards men. "Which team is it you support?"

"Here and there." Draco muttered with a flick of his hand. "I suppose you support the Harpies?"

"I'm an unbiased party, I'm afraid. Never watched a full match – I don't even know the positions."

Draco balked.

"Why couldn't have we had a girl?" Narcissa piped up, glancing at her husband from the corner of her eye. At Draco's rather offended look, she scrambled to make it better, "it isn't that I don't love you, my dear, Merlin knows I do, but the number of Quidditch games I have had to suffer through is appalling."

Astoria grinned and Draco frowned.

/ / /

"Forgive me, Astoria, if this goes dreadfully wrong." Narcissa muttered from behind her, sitting up on her knees, separating the young girl's hair into two, equal pieces. "I haven't plaited hair since I was not much older than you."

"You won't be much worse than Daphne." Astoria consoled. "She turned my hair pink when I was six while only trying to put it up in a ponytail." She reminisced. "It was her first case of accidental magic, my papa was thrilled, he was convinced she was a squib. Turns out, she was just really, _really_ reserved and quiet. She's never been one for talking unless she sees it to be important." She didn't know for sure, but the way Narcissa's hands stopped at the crown of her head for a few seconds felt something short of an embrace. "Mother says she gets it from her sister, Sarah, but Safiya says its because she's been around mother's loud mouth too much and doesn't want to speak in fear of being like her."

"Who do you think you take after?" Naricssa asked pleasantly, handing off the right side of her hair over Astoria's shoulder and starting the process of giving the left side a French braid.

"Dunno." Astoria shrugged. "I don't remember much of what papa was like because Safiya gets upset when we speak of him and I don't want to upset her."

"Do you think you're like your mother?" Narcissa inquired. "And do tell me if I hurt you, alright?"

"I don't think I want to be like my mother." Astoria quietly admitted after a few seconds, fiddling with a loose thread of her pale blue night gown. "Inevitably, I will become a mother within around ten years and while I've never been around children, I wouldn't like to abandon them." Astoria paused for a thoughtful few seconds. "It has to be hereditary to abandon your children, must it? No person can be quite selfish enough to leave them with a near enough stranger without it being passed down. I love Saf, I love her with all my heart, but she's not _mine_." Astoria added quickly, trying to amend her mistake of bashing Safiya after all she's done for her and her sister. "She's – She's Blaise's. Papa was mine and Daphne's, but he's gone now and I don't think mother _wants_ to be mine. She likes the idea of it, yes, if it means she can flaunt us like a prized possession, but that's all we are to her, really." The mood in the room went from light-hearted to sombre with each word Astoria spoke. Narcissa was reminded of her age when the girl was none the wiser, humming happily to herself, allowing her hair to be twisted and adjusted while wrapping a loose thread around her finger. Narcissa frowned at the back of Astoria's head sympathetically.

"Well, I promise that I won't turn your hair pink." Narcissa said evenly. Astoria let out a small gasp of laughter. "I'll go for a deep green, if the situation _must_ occur. It's my favourite colour." Astoria laughed again, only this time for longer and more audible. It made Narcissa smile.

/ / /

"My mother said you were knowledgeable." Astoria said knowingly, tugging absently at the itchy fabric. Mr Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "Just before she left the other day. She said, and I quote directly from memory, _Lucius is a good, knowledgeable man_. My mother said you were knowledgeable."

"What is it if I am?" Mr Malfoy retorted, reminding Astoria strongly of his son.

Astoria gave a small shrug. "Nothing, really. Nothing of immediate importance, anyhow." Again, Mr Malfoy arched a brow. "I enjoy learning, is all." Astoria admits with another shrug.

"Possible Ravenclaw?" Is all Mr Malfoy replied with.

" _Please_." Astoria scoffed. "I'd just have to off myself if I were in Ravenclaw. Or Hufflepuff. Or Gryffindor. _Especially_ Hufflepuff."

"Hoping to get into Slytherin, then?"

"Oh, not hoping, Mr Malfoy." Astoria chirps, an oddly mischievous smile flitting across her face. " _Knowing_. If my sister can get into Slytherin, I'm practically there already."

"Sharing blood doesn't mean you'll get in. The Hat doesn't look at blood." Mr Malfoy seemed to say this with a slight sneer, unable to comprehend how something could take blood into account for every mundane activity.

"My sister is the sweetest person I know." This shouldn't really account for much and Astoria knew this, she didn't know much people out of those she considered her family – in fact, the total had been put up to three, and it just happened to be the man in front of her and his family. "She's not even that manipulative."

"And you are?" Mr Malfoy retaliated, looking at her with more attention than he had before.

Astoria smiled and gave yet another shrug. "If you'll take my word for it."

"Sure." Mr Malfoy allowed, because what harm is it trusting the word of a girl just turned eleven?

"Pink swear on it?" Astoria asked rather childishly, looking deadly serious.

"Sure." Mr Malfoy repeated, only slower this time. He took Astoria's pinky in his own, giving it a small shake as if it were a business deal.

"Now." Astoria said lavishly. "Since you have been nominated good and knowledgeable man of the year, would you mind terribly helping me pronounce a few words I stumbled across in some books in your library? Saying words phonetically isn't always ideal."

Mr Malfoy looked to the stack of papers on his desk that he himself had volunteered to fill out for the Minister (arse kissing at its best, Narcissa would trill). He relented in the end, allowing Astoria to sit on the arm of his chair, a pile of large books on the small table behind her, flicking through the marked off pages. There was weirder ways he could spend his day, he supposed.

/ / /

"You know," Draco Malfoy drawled, dropping from the tree he so lavishly occupied seconds beforehand, landing on his feet like an oversized, hairless, two footed cat "it isn't ladylike to be strutting around – _outside_ , no less – yanking at your dress." Astoria jumped and glowered.

"I don't care for acting like a _lady_." She sniffled, tugging more manically at the fabric. "It _itches_."

"Go and change, then." Draco said simply.

"But I _can't_." Astoria whinged. "Mother was – She was – She was _her_." Astoria slid down the trunk of the tree and onto the grassy ground, tipping her head back and letting out a frustrated growl. "She knows nothing about me, you know."

" _Surely_ she knows your age." Draco pointed out, seeking refuge in the space by her side. Astoria glared. "Your birthday?"

"That's about it, really."

"Allergies?"

"I've got none." Astoria muttered. "But what I _do_ have is very, _very_ sensitive skin. Which is why this stupid, bloody _state_ of a material is causing me serious issues."

"Go and change into a different dress, then."

"Eugh," Astoria grunted. "Don't you listen?" Draco lifted his pale eyebrows. "I've only got one dress left that hasn't been worn – I've got three days left residing here. I've got to make these last."

"Do you realise, Astoria, that I have _house elves_? They are perfectly capable of washing, you know."

"Can we not speak about washing and items of clothing?" Astoria requested with an impatient huff. "I want to take my mind off the unbearable itching."

"Fine." Draco allowed, resting his head back against the tree like Astoria and closing his eyes lightly, allowing the spring sun to shine through the beginnings of leaves and early year flowers and onto his face. "What is it you would like to talk about, Lady Greengrass?"

Astoria scoffed at the formalities, secretly glad that Draco was not aware of her growing smile. "Well, _Sir Malfoy_ , I, for one, would like to know about school."

Draco cracked an eye open and stared at her incredulously. " _School_?" He echoed with disbelief.

"Yes, tell me about Hogwarts."

"Does Zabini not talk to you while he's home? Write, perhaps? What of your sister?"

" _Blaise_ ," she made a point of punctuating her step-brothers name clearly "speaks to me just fine. Rarely picks up a quill, and when he does it's to mock his fellow classmates. I've heard all about that Longbottom child." Draco thought it rich of her to think of someone with a year on her as a child. "And as for Daphne, she's prone to utter romance. Surely Hogwarts can't be the peak of romanticisms and love." Draco frowned, closing his opened eye. Although he would never admit, he was pretty sure that Hogwarts was all that and more. It was, undoubtedly, beautiful. He'd be caught dead admitting that, though, especially to the girl he was set to marry. "I want to hear it from a bloke's perspective."

"Are you meaning to tell me, Astoria, that Zabini is, in fact, not a male?"

Astoria managed to trill out a laugh. "When I ask him, he just shrugs and mutters _it's alright, I guess_." Draco gave a half-hearted snort at her rather uncanny impersonation of his fellow dorm mate. "I want to know everything you know about school." Draco paused for a few moments, unsure of where to begin. He did, eventually, delve into details of Hogwarts. From where, he would never be able to recall, but he could remember feeling like it felt to be the start.

/ / /

"You don't talk much of your friends." Draco mumbled on Astoria's final night, the night before he would be going back to the spectacular castle and resuming his education before Astoria had even the chance to begin hers. Over the few days she had been held a voluntary hostage, they had resembled something of akin to friendship. It was rather nice, both of them supposed, being friends with the person they were set to marry rather than hating them deeply. At least their marriage would have some foundation for it to either grow or stay as is.

"Don't have any." Astoria shrugged. "My father passed before he had the chance to set up roots for me like he did with Daph. Coincidently, the year he was supposed to thrust me out into the world was the year he kicked the bucket." Astoria fiddled with strands of grass. "Sort of inconsiderate, isn't it?"

"What about your step-mother?" Draco inquired nosily, knowing that asking about her actual mother would be a waste of breath and air.

"I don't think she knew what to do. She didn't grow up here, she grew up in Gao someplace and from the stories I've heard, the community is really tight-knit. She knew all of the children her age, over and under before she could speak properly. She didn't grow up like us."

"Why didn't you make friends with Daphne's friends?"

"I associated with them." Astoria said nimbly. "I like them fine – Pansy's nice, Tracey's rather funny but they're Daphne's. She didn't want her little sister trailing along after her." Astoria sat forwards, crossing her legs over one another, shredding the grass from the soil. "I mean, I could always trail after Blaise when I get to Hogwarts after summer, but I don't think he'd want his brat of a step-sister tagging along with him and his mates, and I'm pretty sure you'd rather if your fiancée kept a distance for a bit."

"I don't really ' _tag along_ ' with Blaise," Draco said with a small shrug "he keeps to himself, really. Sits in the corner of the Common Room with a book for most of the – what's with the face?" Astoria was frowning deeply, her brows creasing rather tremendously (who knew they could move that close together?!) and her mouth twisted downwards.

"Blaise _hates_ reading. He's says it's –" Her frown turned into an immediate smile and her brows slackened. Draco pursed his lips wondering if he had been set up with a bi-polar psychopath. "Does he sit close to people as he reads?"

"Um, I guess? It's a common room, Astoria, it's always riddled with people."

Astoria laughed loudly. "He's – He's _genius_!"

"I'm struggling to get to how you got that that concl –"

"I probably shouldn't tell you." Astoria muttered, grinning manically while chewing on her fingers. "Blaise would slaughter me if he knew that I told –" She stopped speaking narrowing her eyes slightly. "But it is duty, isn't it? How bad would it look at me if we were engaged of all a few days and I was _already_ harbouring secrets? _Blaise's_ secrets at that?"

"You're a mad woman." Draco proclaimed.

"Promise me," Astoria said suddenly, grabbing his face by the cheeks, forcing rather intimate eye contact "promise me you will not tell anyone else what I am about to tell you. Not even your stupid, _bloody_ peacocks. Not your mother, not your father, this is _strictly between us_. Promise me that."

"Surely this can't be _that_ –"

"Just _promise me_."

"Alright. I promise."

Astoria sat back down, grinning. Even though her hands had left his face, he could still feel them imprinted there.

"Blaise is pretending to read. Or maybe he's actually reading, but that's only a small detail." Astoria looked like she held the single most biggest secret in the entire world. "He's only reading to gather information on you lot." Draco's eyes widened. That plotting, conniving little _bast_ – "So watch what you say around him. Because eventually, when he sees fit, he'll use it against you to get what he wants." Astoria shrugged as if it was that simple. "Another game of Gobstones?" Draco frowned, but sorted out the stones into organised piles.

/ / /

Astoria's excitement was undeniable the morning of both her and Draco's departure of the Malfoy Manor. She seemed to have lost the ability to be able to keep her feet still and she had giggled (a full on _giggle_ ) and grinned her entire way through breakfast. Draco couldn't help but feel rather offended on his family's (mainly his own) behalf. _Surely_ the grand Malfoy Manor was by far better than the miniscule Estate that probably didn't even have pointless peacocks strutting around, spreading excrement everywh – maybe it's a good thing she doesn't have that, actually. The point still stood, though, his family could afford to make pointless and expensive purchases without suffering at all. Could the Greengrass's do that? Draco wasn't entirely sure, he had only heard of their name in conversation before he was told at age seven that he was set to marry the youngest Greengrass spawn and only properly laid eyes on a Greengrass when he met Daphne.

They sat in the small black carriage that pulled them down the unnecessarily long gravelled path leading to the gates at the start of the Malfoy's land, Astoria sat by Draco, the two of them facing backwards, sitting across from husband and wife, Lucius and Narcissa. Astoria didn't let the sour thoughts of _that'll be you and Draco in a few years_ ruin her rather excellent mood. She stared outside the window, watching the scenery whizz past at immense paces (she wasn't even sure if they were _in_ Malfoy land, anymore) as Draco fiddled around with his collar, completely adamant that he could do it himself, thank you very much mother, I'm eleven _years_ old, not _months_. Narcissa didn't bother snapping about his cheek, taking great pleasure in watching his struggle instead.

"I do hope Safiya got the letter I sent." Narcissa muttered absently, smirking victoriously as Draco's hands snapped to his side and he reluctantly leaned forward, silently beckoning his mother's assistance. She fiddled with the collar for all of two seconds before it was sitting perfectly. "It was a little late when I sent it."

"She would have got it in this morning's post. She's always up around seven, says it's good for the mind." Astoria took note of Draco's frown. "Personally, I wouldn't believe her." She rattled on. "She's been really into health and beauty columns lately, I think they sprout a load of rubbish, but Saf swears by them." There was something about the way Astoria spoke with fondness that made her seem all the more like a small child as opposed to the older teen she had portrayed herself to be. It was both disturbing, the reality of her age, and endearing, the childish innocence drawing each person in the carriage to her in their own way.

"We're picking up your mother first, Astoria." Narcissa said, looking across at the younger girl, subconsciously eagerly awaiting for her reaction.

Astoria wrinkled her nose distastefully out the window. "She either wants a report or to fulfil her motherly duties of sending Daph away." Astoria snickered to herself. "Something tells me it _isn't_ the latter."

"A report?" Draco sneered. "Of what? The different colours of flowers you saw on your trip home?"

Astoria rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly." She chided lightly. "I can't see the colours of flowers on the ground; look, we're going too quickly." Despite his better judgement, Draco was inclined to look out the window simply by the lull of Astoria's voice. The carriage came to a slow halt and Astoria grimaced at the familiar cottage that sat pretentiously behind some short-cut hedges. Flowers of all types were cluttered at every window and long, wilting vines stretched up every visible inch of the outside walls. "Do you reckon I could write up a quick report about all the flowers I've seen on my journey home?" Astoria asked snidely, eyeing the house with immense distaste.

"How much vegetation does your mother _need_ under one roof?"

"Draco, don't be mean." Narcissa chastised, but she was more than likely thinking the same thing.

"I think she buys flowers and plants each time Safiya calls her a waste of proper, breathable air to make up for it. Plants give back oxygen, you know." Draco did know, actually and felt the need to comment on this fact. Just as Astoria was about to retaliate, the door to her mother's abode opened and the only thing that Astoria could mutter was a plea for Death. " _Merlin_ , I beg of you, take me now." Violeta Greengrass, while usually rather pretty (but not up to Narcissa Malfoy's standards and nowhere near Safiya's) had completely ruined her good looks by dressing head to toe in black, a rather large had which had large, white _feathers_ sprouting from the top, and oversized, heavily tinted sunglasses despite the lack of actual sun. "Maybe we can get away if we go now." Astoria looked pleadingly to her future in-laws.

"I think your mother looks nice." Narcissa was obviously lying. Her husband seemed to know this, too, as he gave a loud, decisive snort. Narcissa elbowed him sharply, shooting him a harsh look. "Violeta, _Lucius_ , looks _perfectly_ fine."

"Whatever you say, darling." Lucius muttered, turning from the walking monstrosity who was getting far too close for comfort and turning to look out the window to his left. Astoria really couldn't blame him.

"She looks like she's in mourning." Draco whispered, absolutely aghast.

" _Draco_."

"She's most likely mourning my dignity that just vanished when she left her –"

"Violeta." Narcissa greeted enthusiastically, grinning excellently.

"Good morning, all." Violeta greeted, grinning with a closed mouth. She favoured the seat to Narcissa's right rather than the vacant one by Astoria, striking it to be rather odd with her daughter. Suspiciously, Astoria took a closer look at her mother, inspecting her rather odd behaviour with a critical eye and glossing over every visible inch of her skin, just to be sure. The carriage resumed moving at its fast pace and Violeta's hand went to her mouth and her posture stiffened. Astoria lifted a thin brow at her mother's antics.

"Are you alright, Mother?"

"I'm fine, dear."

"It's just you've got red marks. On your neck." Astoria motioned to her own with a slight grimace, thoroughly impressed by her own strength and ability not to cackle with utter delight. _Her mother had love bites_! Even Lucius, a man of a stony demeanour, turned to get a glimpse.

"It's just a rash, love." Violeta assured, a light blush creeping up her neck. "How – How have you been, Azzy?" It was Astoria's turn to blush as Draco raised his pale brows at her, a smile tugging at the edges of his lips.

"Delightful." She frowned, the use of the insufferable nickname turning her happy mood sour.

"Have you been a good girl?"

"Yes."

"Behaving properly?"

"Yes."

"That's good."

"Hmm."

The carriage went silent and Astoria wanted to die with embarrassment. Draco was smirking rather victoriously. Violeta looked constantly on edge, wincing when they went over a bump in the roads. Narcissa inched closer to her husband, not wanting to be in aim when – sorry, _if_ Violeta was to throw up. Lucius stared out the window.

Eventually, too long for Astoria's liking, actually, they pulled into the Greengrass Estate, slowing to a stop. Violeta was the first to exit, throwing herself from the confined space before it even had the chance to stop moving completely. Lucius followed after Narcissa, a hand placed firmly and lovingly on the pit of her back. Draco stood from his seat with a smirk. "After you, _Azzy_."

"Insufferable _dolt_." Astoria snarled, stepping down from the carriage in a particularly foul mood. Draco snickered as he followed after her.

"Astoria!" The woman standing at the top of the chalk white stairs had to be one of the most gorgeous specimens Draco had ever laid eyes on. He willed himself not to stare, of course, because now he was officially spoken for and he was a _gentleman_ for Merlin's sake. The least he could do was ogle when nobody was looking. The woman descended the stairs and walked towards the running eleven year old, embracing her tightly when they collided. "I missed you, I missed you, I missed you!" Astoria squealed. The beautiful woman muttered something to, presumably, if his guessing's were correct on her identity, her step-daughter, making the young girl laugh.

"Violeta, dear, you're looking like death's front door this morning." Safiya said silkily, a coy smirk twitching at her features. Violeta blinked rather furiously, perhaps feeling too ill to retaliate in the fashion she usually would (complete desperation to beat down her children's better moth – _step-mother_ ). "My, my." Safiya purred, eyes sparkling with evil mirth. "You truly are looking worse for wear, aren't you sweetheart?"

"I can't be done with your venom today, Zabini." Violeta muttered, looking rather tired. A dull spark lit up her bland eyes and she smiled. "Or have you referred back to Greengrass? Forgive me, I'm not caught up on your many surnames, but it usually accompanies which home you live in, correct? If I am not mistaken, this _is_ the Greengrass Estate. I do hope that you aren't using my lovely daughters to inhabit this rather fine establishment?"

If she was phased, Safiya didn't show it. Not a single passing of anger flashed across her face, she only bore a look of extreme calmness. "Is that what you're doing, Violeta? When you and Harrison divorced, it came a rather large shock to us all that you had elected to keep his last name. Were you hoping to snag the family home after Astoria and Daphne were shipped off to marry their respective men?" Safiya's cool eyes flickered over to the Malfoy family. "I do not mean you and your family any bad mouthing and disrespect, Lucius, Narcissa, young Draco." She looked back to Violeta with a cruel smirk. "I am merely commenting on Violeta's lack of class and mental stability. It is, after all, very unbecoming of a woman with such purity of the blood to be sleeping with any man who has a pulse? Running west when you discovered you were bearing child, scared that one of your many one night –"

"I would ask if we could all take a lovely stroll in the Estate's gates luscious gardens, Safiya, all of us can get to know each other a little better, but I'm assuming you wouldn't want a respectable man such as Lucius to stumble across your freshly laid soil, now, would we? When was it you laid it, again, Safiya? Mid December? Why, isn't that when your dear old husband kicked –"

"Mother!" The sound of angry steps emerged from the Estate and a furious Blaise Zabini was stomping down the stairs, cloak billowing behind him lavishly. "I located both my wand _and_ my book of very harmful, destructing hexes and jinxes sure to turn ones head into an explosive ball of _something_ better than what you have now, you –"

"That is enough, Blaise." Safiya cautioned, not even needing to turn to make her son submit to her words. "Astoria, why don't you take Draco and Blaise inside? You three can collect Daphne, tell her it's time to go."

Draco felt inclined to stay put, but the way Astoria was staring at him, twitching her head towards her front door, he was pressured into following her. Giving a nod of acknowledgment to Zabini (he'd never open his mouth without thinking his words through properly, thanks to the vital piece of information given to him by Astoria) he shoved his hands into the pockets of his robes. "Is it _always_ like that?" He asked when they were free from the adult eyes and ears.

"Not to that level of extremity, no." Astoria replied as they walked the empty halls. "Daphne!" She yelled, climbing a quarter of a dozen stairs, staying still as she listened out for her sisters footsteps. "I think Safiya's just angry that she didn't know about our little arrangement. Pity that the next time they saw each other was in the presence of your family." Astoria stepped down a single stairs, pursing her lips and looking over the two boys' heads. "Trinket!" She screeched abruptly. Blaise sneered at his fellow house mate and dorm sharer when he gave a started jump. With a crack, a terrible old house elf was wavering at Astoria's feet, looking up at her with wide, teary eyes.

"The little brat has returned from her stay away, has she?" The house elf croaked.

"The little _what_?" Astoria asked, eyes flaring and jaw setting. "Bad mouth me again, you vile thing, and I'll throw you down these stairs."

The house elf wailed.

"Shut up." Astoria snarled. "Have you seen Daphne?"

"The other young mistress is eating her breakfast."

"Very well." Astoria muttered, eyes narrowing. "Bring my belongings up to my room. And set them _nicely_ , you foul mouthed cretin, and don't go stealing my father's things, alright? They're _mine_. If I find out that you've touched yourself _again_ anywhere near my photo album I _will_ slaughter you myself!"

"Master never would have spoken to Trinket in such a terrible manner."

"Well, Trinket, I have some news for you." The house elf stared up at his mistress with rightfully cautious eyes. "My daddy is dead." The smile that accompanied such news didn't make sense. "Did you hear that, Trinket? Your master is dead." A rather malicious cackle left Astoria's mouth. "Dead, dead, dead!" She accompanied each trill of the word ' _dead_ ' with a gleeful jump down each stair. The house elf burst into loud, undignified tears. "You may go." Astoria sniffed, holding her head high.

The house elf fled with a crack. Astoria's down turned lips lifted. "Excuse the house elf," she said lightly "and you need not worry, I will not be taking that _beast_ anywhere with me. When I leave here, the only part of that thing I'll be taking with me is its decapitated head."

"I do wish he went out of his way to speak with you more, Ria." Blaise commented with a coy smirk as they resumed their walking. "I do love being reminding that I inhabit a home with an insane psychopath."

Astoria let out a feminine scoff.

"But, as I hear it, Malfoy, you've got all of this to look forward to." This had to be one of the handful of times Blaise had openly conversed with Draco since the beginning of their education. "Am I correct to assume that a congratulations are in order for the new, happy couple?"

"I am going to have to politely decline your proposal, brother mine." Astoria sniffed. "Any congratulations coming from your venom filled mouth is a guaranteed jinx." Blaise openly laughed. "And if you dare try to imply that any aspect of this arrangement is willing, I will poison you. I won't even try to be subtle. I'll doze your morning tea. When I go to school after summer, I'll have so much chances to do so. Watch your tongue, love."


	3. Chapter 3

Astoria next turned up on the Malfoy's doorstep the week before the summer holidays ended. Her skin was sun kissed, beautifully so and it seemed to highlight the olive shade of green her eyes were; her long, ash brown hair that had stayed almost miraculously straight during her previous stay, no matter the weather conditions and long days, was now an abundance of waves, tidily so; she had seemed to grow at least an inch over the short months they had gone without physical contact; and her dimples were deeply ingrained on her grinning face. Draco managed his own smile, not nearly as large and enthusiastic as his fiancées, but Astoria didn't appear to care that he did not share her enthusiasm. He smiled briefly at her stepmother who towered over the two of them, looking to be rather strained on the face. He looked away, willing himself not to stare at her beauty.

"Astoria, darling, you're looking beautiful." Narcissa cooed, shoving the door open wider for easier access. "Safiya, how are you?"

Safiya shot an irate look down at her step daughter (who continued to beam) before sighing. "I have Violeta Greengrass in my lounge unconscious." Was all she said, taking Astoria by the back of the neck and shoving her inside the manor. Narcissa looked unsure and Draco snickered. His mother clapped him on the back of the head.

"Mother bought me my school supplies as a belated birthday present along with some books she claimed she thought I'd like. _I_ think she picked up the first three that came to hand." Astoria reported, wriggling out from Safiya's grasp and practically danced and skipped down the hall. "With school supplies came a wand!" She cheered.

"Violeta, the absolute _dear_ ," Draco assumed that 'dear' was not the correct term Safiya truly wanted to use "had picked up Astoria a self-defence book, a book of hexes, and a book of magical law enforcement." Safiya drew out a withered sigh. "Either the detestable specimen wants her daughter to be an Auror or she was far too busy with the sales clerk to bother reading the spines." Safiya shot Narcissa a meaningful look. "I think we _both_ know which it _really_ was."

Narcissa hummed, closing the door softly. "I think we do."

"Astoria, don't run off." Safiya said sharply. Astoria stopped in her tracks, turning to look pleadingly at her stepmother. "Don't pin me with that look, _girl_ , do you know who's going to have to deal with your mother when she wakes up? Me."

" _Seriously_ , Saf." Astoria drawled. "I really didn't mean it. I had no clue that the spell would even work, I've never tried magic before."

"When I tired magic for the first time, my first spell was _Lumos_ , not Expelliarmus! And I most certainly did _not_ point my wand directly at my mother while performing it!"

Astoria pouted once more. "What did she expect me to do? She handed me one of her _stupid_ books and told me to pick a spell and try it. She should really consider herself lucky that I put the book of hexes second on the pile and not _first_. Then I really would be in trouble."

"You're in trouble now!"

"Don't act like you didn't laugh, Safiya." Astoria chided. "I saw the glint in your eyes as you saw her go down. I saw you laugh. You think you can hide these things, but you can't."

"Back chat me again, little lady, and I will ensure that you are put to bed without dinner." Safiya warned with a stern wag of her finger. Astoria rolled her eyes, seemingly harmless but with Safiya's growing mood, Astoria would have been just as well slapping her around the face. "Cheek me again and I'll get Trinket to watch guard over you at nights." Astoria pouted dramatically and looked to the ground, careful not to enrage her stepmother any further.

"Difficult parenting day?" Narcissa snarked lightly, placing her hand over the top of Astoria's head, softly stroking through her hair.

"The worst." Safiya muttered sourly. "Daphne's in hysterics." Draco took a rather sick fascination with imagining the eldest Greengrass sister bawling undignified, blotchy tears ruining her pretty face all because her younger sister is a little bit of a sod. "Blaise had to take her outside to help her stop laughing. She was almost in tears when we left, all I'm hoping is that Violeta doesn't wake to find her precious little Daphne laughing at her expense." Daphne Greengrass cackling at someone's misfortune was certainly not something Draco had ever imagined.

"Oh you know Violeta, Safiya, when her heads hit the pillow she'll be out for hours." Narcissa admonished with the wave of her hand. "Would you like some tea?"

"Oh no, I can't, I mustn't leave Blaise and Daphne alone for too long with that clinically insane house elf." Safiya's harsh features turned softer. "I do hope Astoria won't trouble you as much as she has done me." Safiya took Astoria's hand in her own. "I have taken her wand into my custody so hopefully she won't be firing spells left right and centre."

"She's acting like I can't ask for yours, Draco." Astoria's eyes flickered to the pale boy (who hadn't seemed to get any more colour on his skin during the sweltering summer weeks) and she grinned, looking up to her stepmother. "I think you're forgetting some of my greater qualities, Saf."

Safiya pursed her lips and hummed. "I think you're overestimating how far your wit, sly tongue charms and looks will get you, my dear Ria." She caressed the side of Astoria's face with the cup of her hand, smiling softly. "In due time, lovely, it'll do you wonders. For now, I shall leave you. I'll see you – Thursday, is it, you're hosting tea, Narcissa?" Narcissa nodded. "I'll see you Thursday, lovely."

"Will you give me my wand on Thursday, then?"

"Not a chance."

/ / /

"Summer doesn't do you much."

Draco's eye's narrowed, not feeling entirely sure if it was merely an observation or something akin to an insult. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You're still as pale you were in the Easter." Astoria shrugged. "How are you supposed to know when the seasons change?"

"When the –" Draco stopped speaking to blink with pure amazement at her rather large amount of stupidity springing from her mouth. "I don't know how you do it, but I simply look at my watch – it has the _date_ on it – and I look at the calendar my mother keeps which tells you when the seasons start."

"Why do you look at your watch with the date if your mother owns a calendar?"

"Because I always have my watch on, don't I?" Draco asked irritably. "I don't keep a calendar strapped to my ankles."

"Maybe you should." Astoria said with a coy grin. "Make a fashion statement. You'll be a true trend setter. Maybe Daph'll read of you in Witch Weekly."

Draco snorted and the two went into silence. Draco fiddled with his fingers and Astoria watched the peacocks on the Malfoy's land chase defenceless bees, snickering with delight. "How do you keep track of the seasons?" Draco asked abruptly, sick of his wandering mind. "How do you _not_ use a calendar?"

"My skin tans in summer. It gets slightly paler in autumn. I go white as a sheet in winter. I get a little darker in spring. It's a cycle."

"How do you know the exact dates? Of the seasons?"

Astoria's face screwed up and she looked at him. "Why would you need to know the _exact_ dates? What – What good does that do me?"

"How did you even _get_ that tan, anyway?" Draco reflected with a heavy frown.

"Daph and I went to Greece. I've got family there, you know." Draco did not know and found it rather fascinating, his entire family from both sides coming for England and England only, so it was rather unusual to hear of a British pureblood having family out of the United Kingdom. "Have you ever been to Greece?" Astoria pondered casually and Draco wanted to sneer. While he hadn't ventured that far, would it be wise to declare it? Were they in this stage of their blossoming relationship, sharing details of their past family holidays and making light, intriguing conversation? After a few moments he relented, he'd have to suppose that they were. "I've never went to Greece."

"Oh, but you should." Astoria gushed and Draco began to wonder why her cheeks hadn't split from the amount of smiling she had done. "It's absolutely _gorgeous_. The seas are blue and clear, the beaches are golden and the weather is utter _perfection_."

"I don't suppose I've had a reason to go to. My family own a house in France so we vacate there sometimes, we own a lodge in the South of France which makes good for skiing and the lot, we have a lake house up somewhere in Scotland, but we don't have a stay away home in Greece." Draco paused, knowing that there were many more Malfoy residencies around the world, some that he wasn't too sure of himself, but would he ever admit this? Pah, of course not, he was a Malfoy, he didn't show weaknesses in knowledge.

"Well," Astoria said, picking up a daisy and twirling it between her nimble fingers "when we're betrothed I'll take you there. We can see if your pale complexion does anything else than make you look like a ghost."

"I do _not_ look like a ghost!"

"Oh, but you do." Astoria gave him a slight smirk and shrugged with a single shoulder. "That's okay, though, I guess. You'll just be easier to find in summer… look for the combination of bleach blonde and white and you've spotted the mini Malfoy."

Draco studied her for a few moments, feeling like this was an insult on his being but the look on her face said otherwise. Was she – was she _joking_? Was she attempting to make jokes with him? He froze for a few seconds, having not been aware that their relationship had progressed into the actual, literal realm of _friendship_. Man, he hadn't even entered that with Crabbe and Goyle, why had he entered it with her, of all people? "What should I look for, then?" He asked, trying to regain his composure. "What do I need to do to seek out Little Greengrass?"

"Well, Safiya usually says that if you follow the sound of destruction and loudness you'll usually find me, but I think that's rather insulting, don't you think?"

Insulting, yet undeniably true, Draco mused to himself as he let out a soft snort.

/ / /

It took Astoria only a day and a half to locate her favourite place in Malfoy Manor during her last stay. Surprisingly, it was not the library. No, that was Mr Malfoy's favourite place aside his office and there was no telling which of his spaces he would be residing with and while Astoria found him rather pleasant and knowledgeable (perhaps all that spouted from Violeta's mouth _wasn't_ bull's excrement), she did not fancy having to sit opposite him while scrutinising over his books on his leather sofa and having to pretend not to notice him as he would occasionally glance upwards at her. No, no, that was not her idea of an ideal time.

Her favourite place was, Astoria could only assume, Draco's old play room. It was lined top to bottom with dusty old book shelves stacked with children's fairy tales and stories; toys were scattered across the floor in a neat and tidy mess; the walls were a dark shade of green rather than the rest of the manors black or white; an uncharacteristically bright rug took up most of the room lay on the floor brightening its surroundings dramatically; and a handmade (Astoria only assumed this due to the intricate and detailed designing that went into it) oak rocking chair was slinking off to one of the sides that she favoured greatly. It was nice, definitely the most homely room in the entire manor that Astoria knew of.

It made her oddly pensive as she would read one of the books from the shelf, thinking of her life in ten years where she would most probably be sitting in that exact chair with that exact book reading to a tiny, delicate child. Or maybe she wouldn't be doing that at all, maybe she would be "that" parent and hand off her children to the house elves. Maybe, on wishful thinking, she wouldn't marry Draco at all. Maybe by some miraculous happening, herself and Draco wouldn't marry and they could part ways as friends and never have to see each other naked or touch lips. Astoria would always frown when she came across this particular thought, scolding herself for thinking so childishly. No matter what would happen in the future, she would always end up being a Malfoy – that was a given, the only certain she would ever receive and she wasn't sure if she was okay with that.

/ / /

"Have you noticed something odd about Dobby?" Draco whispered to Astoria over the lunch that they shared out in the garden, both of them peering curiously at the house elf in question, who was repeatedly smashing himself over the head with the bristles of its broom.

"I guess so, yes." Astoria answered with a small frown. "And coming from me, that's saying something. My house elf is a bloody nut job."

"People have speculated that house elf's take after their masters." Draco commented snidely.

"How dare you insult my sister like that, she doesn't touch herself up over the few pictures I have of my father." Astoria nibbled at the crusts of her sandwich with a grin. She swallowed with a thoughtful look and opened her mouth to say snidely; "wait, if house elf's take from their masters, do _you_ regularly smack yourself over the face with a broom?"

Draco scowled. " _No_."

"Those speculators must be incorrect, then." She sniffed, smiling coyly.

"He's acting odd." Draco muttered, frowning tensely at the oblivious elf. "He's done nothing wrong, what's he smacking himself around the head for?"

"Maybe he's killed a man?" Astoria whispered theatrically.

"Highly unlikely without being under my father or mother's orders." Draco muttered, balling a single hand into a fist and propping it under his chin.

"Maybe he's killed a man?" Astoria repeated with a grin and a suggestive raising of her eyebrows. Draco raised a pale brow, feeling content when her grin turned into a pout as she was dominated into silence. "Why don't you just ask him?" Astoria suggested, circling the rim of her goblet with a single finger. "He has to answer, doesn't he? He's obliged."

"I'd rather not willingly associate myself with that piece of vermin, thank you very much."

"Who'd rather not associate with you, Malfoy?" Theodore Nott asked cheekily, swanning through the French doors and onto the patio. Astoria frowned with distaste, Theo really hadn't changed since she last saw him over a year ago. He still had noodles for arms and legs, he wasn't proportioned well at all, his ears were a little too big for his head and he had a smile that made Astoria want to smack him several times. "Hello, Astoria." He greeted, with a nod of acknowledgment.

"Nott." She replied dryly, instinctively tilting her chin up so she'd have to look down her nose at him – or she would have had he been of normal height and not a kid giant, so really it just looked like she was trying to level gazes with him.

"What are you doing here?" Draco quizzed, looking between his house-mate and fiancée with a keen interest.

"My father insisted that your father helps him with a few things." Nott shrugged, not holding having boring chit-chat with his supposed friend of great importance, all too engrossed with the girl who was currently glowering at him with an intensity he thought too much for an eleven year old girl. He was rather impressed. "You come here for a bit each holiday, don't you, Astoria? Daphne told me."

"Well if Daphne told you, why do you need clarification from me?" She asked hotly, eyes narrowing almost dangerously. "Do you not _trust_ my sister with her words, Nott? Do you think she's some sort of sociopathic, heartless liar?" Nott blinked dubiously at her. Astoria leered, picking up the platter of sandwiches and offering it to him. "Want one, Nott?" After her previous statement, Theodore wasn't so sure that she only had just the single, innocent motive so he looked to Draco, someone he hoped would pick a verging-on-friend over the girl he was being forced to wed. Draco didn't decide, he was too transfixed on the self-brutalising house elf to care what was going on around him.

"I've already eaten, but thanks." He muttered. Astoria shrugged, putting the platter back down and reaching for her own sandwich, leaning back within her garden chair and taking a large bite, chewing slowly, not taking her eyes from her sister's fiancé. Theodore went red under her gaze, finding her to be a little more than patronizing and, quite frankly, a little terrifying. "What're – What're you doing, Malfoy?" Theodore asked in hopes of taking his house mates attention from the house elf and, hopefully, he'd notice Astoria was acting more than weird and put a stop to it. But, of course, Draco was a Malfoy, and they're rather unpredictable when it came to trivial things like helping out a friend.

"What does it look like?" Draco snapped, not removing his eyes from the elf. "It's acting odd."

"Why don't you just ask it what's up?" Theodore suggested.

"See!" Astoria proclaimed loudly, shocking Theodore into a startled jump. Finally, he was relieved from her piercing look as it was moved towards Draco, although it was less harsh and more playful for him. " _Theodore_ even says so. Just go and ask the bloody thing!" Theodore felt slightly insulted, but decided to let it slide in fear of sliding further into Astoria's wrath.

Finally, Draco turned from his house elf to glare at the girl that sat across from him. "Didn't I _just_ tell you that I _don't_ want to do that?" The young Malfoy snapped. Theodore stepped backwards, feeling rather awkward to be caught between in the middle of a quarrel. "And I don't know _who_ you think you are, talking to me like that. What made you think that you could get away with it?"

"Our lack of wands." Astoria retorted with no hesitance, a smirk on her lips and an undeniable force of courage to stand up to Draco Malfoy. "The fact that you can't perform magic out of school. If you kill me, you'll wind up in Azkaban and rot. If you hit me, I'll make your life hell – and I can do that, _darling_ , we've only got the rest of our existence together." Astoria shrugged. "Personally, I think those reasons suffice, but if you have any objections, please, go ahead." Draco didn't go ahead, but instead scowled, slumping into his chair.

"I can't _wait_ for you to come up to Hogwarts after the summer." Theodore couldn't help but say, face a picture of utter awe. Astoria studied him for a few short seconds, seeming to be calculating her next move or reaction. Eventually, she smiled – no, grinned would be the correct word and Theodore felt himself relax a little bit.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Astoria offered, looking to Draco who had resumed his heavy lidded staring at Dobby the house elf. She reached across the table, prodding his arm lightly with a single finger. "Draco?"

"If I'm not going to go near it, what makes you think I'd let you?" Draco asked, tone bored and his eyes not moving from the elf in question. Astoria scoffed, a flash of fury crossing her eyes before she flung herself from her chair, walking pointedly to the house elf and standing in front of it, a hip popped out and arms crossed. Dobby stopped slamming himself in the face with the broom to look at her with wide, teary eyes. "What _are_ you doing?" She asked. The house elf wavered by her feet before bawling loudly, sinking to its knees, holding its hands together and seeming to be pleading. Astoria took a surprised step back, looking at the elf with a great deal of distaste and abhor.

"Dobby!" The crushing tone of Mr Malfoy lay a blanket over all of them, capturing the house elf's attention immediately. Dobby looked to Mr Malfoy who stood at the balcony above them all, Astoria vaguely recalled it being a part of his study, but having only been in there once, it was a stab in the dark. "Back to the kitchens!"

"Y-Yes, master!" Dobby squeaked and with a crack, the sobbing elf disappeared.

"Are you alright, Astoria?" Mr Malfoy asked in a mildly concerned tone which, as Astoria had grew to understood, was about the most affectionate he could muster himself to be to anyone who wasn't his wife – not even Draco got more than that.

"I am perfectly alright, Mr Malfoy, thank you for your concern." Astoria said politely, giving him a friendly smile. With a jerk of his head, Mr Malfoy disappeared back into the room he was inhabiting.

"What _were_ you doing?" Draco asked, aghast by her notions.

"What _you_ were too chicken to." Astoria sniffed. She resumed her place at the small table, picking up her sandwich and nibbling away at it as Draco scowled heavily.

Yeah, Theodore mused to himself as Draco showed no signs of snapping at her feverishly like he would to any other person who dared to make a comment like that, he really couldn't wait for Astoria to arrive at Hogwarts.

/ / /

The club of Elitist Pureblood Women had gathered in the Malfoy's back garden the following Thursday afternoon, sitting around a table and gossiping between themselves. Astoria had spied on numerous of their meeting that had been held by Safiya, sitting behind the closed doors just to get a glimpse into the life that was the crème de la crème of pureblood women, the elite of the elite, the group of respectable woman who ever pureblooded or halfblooded female aspired to be. Astoria and Daphne had been guaranteed places since birth being the daughters of Harrison Greengrass, a well-respected and wealthy man. Their spots only got more secure when Safiya and Harrison were spotted out together for lunch, whispering and grinning over a candle lit dinner. Had Safiya birthed any daughters of her own, they wouldn't need confirmation, their mother being the cousin of the African Minister for Magic, a thing that seemed to run in the Ezeo family and would have been brought upon Safiya's brother had her uncle not been older than her own father.

This meeting, Astoria noticed, was rather peculiar. While usually split into three bands (Juniors, Posters and Seniors) that never usually intertwined unless a serious or special occasion, two of the three were sitting in the same garden, gossiping of the same topics and sipping cups of ice tea from the same pot. The Posters (consisting of Narcissa, Safiya and a dozen other women Astoria couldn't place) sat with the Seniors and Astoria felt as if she were witnessing a once in a life time viewing. As impressed as she was, Draco did not share the same feelings towards this particular extravaganza. "It's just a bunch of women sitting around the table and bitching about the weather." He said sourly, picking up a dusted teddy bear and looking at it with crumpled brows. "What's got you in such a state?"

Astoria groaned, standing on her toes in attempt to gain a better look outside. "You don't _understand_." She clutched onto the window sill to steady herself, listening to the women laugh. "It's only normal to see Juniors associating with Posters when they're about to transition. Posters almost _never_ associate with Seniors. They just turn sixty and show up at the next Senior meeting."

"How do you know they're not just the middle ones? Posters, is it?" Astoria nodded in confirmation and Draco continued to talk. "Yeah, how do you now know that they're not all Posters who are going to turn sixty within the next year?"

"I've already fiddled with that idea." Astoria muttered. "But there's a woman – _there_ –" she pointed to the woman dressed in all pink with a bright white bow sitting atop her hair "she turned sixty just a little over a year ago last August. I remember, they had a party at the Mirza Household in her honour. Dolores is her name." Astoria stepped to the side as Draco came to stand by her, not needing to stand on his own toes due to his considerable gain on height. "I didn't meet her personally, but I do remember everything swanning through the house being bright, pink and frilly. She fits the bill rather well, I think."

"Maybe she's just visiting?" Draco suggested, loathing the fact that he was rather enthralled by all of the commotion outside.

Astoria scoffed as if she was deeply offended by his suggestion. "Don't be ridiculous. That's out of the rules. Once you go up a level, you're not allowed to step down by attending a lower level's meeting. It doesn't matter if all of your mates are there, you've moved on. You've just got to wait until they step up." They listened quietly as they women below laughed.

"Maybe she was invited?" Draco suggested feebly.

"Nope." Astoria shot down immediately. "Your mother would suffer for sure if she was –"

" _What_ of my mother?" Draco asked sharply, disliking where the sentence was going.

"Oh, simmer." Astoria muttered with an eye roll. "I'm not insulting her, I happen to be fond of your mother, it's just that she's the – she's sort of like their ring leader. She's the Superintendent of the Poster EPW. It's the highest rank in her sector. There's one for each. I don't know about the Juniors – nobody does, really – but if I'm not mistaken, your mother's mother is the Superintendent for the Seniors." Astoria brushed her hair from her face. "It used to be a Black thing, getting Superintendent, but it's supposed to go to the eldest daughter, or eldest female of the next line. Everyone was rather worried when the middle one became a traitor and your aunt changed allegiances from the EPW to the Death Eaters. For the first time in centuries it was a battle between someone out from the Black line. You see, it's sort of given to the person with the most status of the group, and if there's blood sisters there, it goes to the eldest. The Black's are the eldest, most pure blood line but when Saf came along, the game was stirred."

"Saf?" Draco repeated. "You're meaning your _stepmother_?"

"Who else? There's not been a single blood traitor or Squib in her family lineage in _centuries_. When the middle one and a cousin were removed from your family tree, people started to panic that, perhaps, the Black's had more skeletons in their closet than they were willing to openly admit. There was gaps, mysterious gaps in their stories of random members of their family just disappearing. Safiya's family history, on the other hand, is rather spotless." More laughs trickled from the patio. "Your mother got it, evidently. Your grandmother's sister-in-law put up a bit of a fight and the fact that Narcissa was making a highly respected marriage with the Malfoy family did her wonders."

"And Safiya tells you all of this?" Draco quizzed, watching as everyone stared at his mother as she spoke, entranced in her every word.

"Some of it, yes, but the rest I got from Witch Weekly and other magazines." At Draco's perplexed look, Astoria rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Why did you think they were called Posters? Because the name's nice? Because there's no middle ground between a Junior and a Senior? It's because they're _poster girls_. Nobody pays attention to the Juniors because for one, they're in school, and two they're in training. Being a Poster is the _peak_ of your EPW life. While people pay attention to the Seniors, they don't get featured on the front cover and the majority of the articles about them are of their deaths."

"Slightly morbid."

"I guess so, but what else are they to write of? A broken –"

"Mister Draco!" A squeaky voice sounded through the room, causing the two preteens to jump with surprise. "Miss Astoria!" Dobby stood by the door of the old play room, hobbling nervously from foot to foot. "Mistress Malfoy requests your presence in the garden immediately!"

"What ever –" Dobby didn't wait around, with a loud crack, the elf disappeared. Draco scowled at the spot where the house elf previously stood, resenting the fact that it had taken off without listening to the rest of his request.

"Come on." Astoria muttered, her eyes bright with anticipation. She tugged on the hem of Draco's overcoat, nudging her head towards the door. "We've got to go."

"Do you think they saw us?" He asked, following as Astoria fled the room. "Do you think they heard us?"

"Don't be silly." Astoria said lightly. "We're on the third floor to the far East of your manor, there's no chance they'd be able to hear us over the sound of their own chatter."

"Then why does my mother wish to have our presence with them?" Draco asked, a tone of urgency slipping itself between his words.

"Don't panic." Astoria admonished, not bothering to cover her tone with sugar. "It's probably so I can see Saf. She's not to show favouritism, so if Safiya stays long after, she'll be going against a rule." Obscurely, this seemed to calm Draco tremendously. The two of them scampered down the stairs, both eager to get to Narcissa and her band of prestigious women in as little time as possible.

"Darlings." Narcissa grinned before they had even managed to step fully outside. "Come and meet the ladies." All attention was averted to Draco and Astoria, watching them as they stepped down the stairs. Safiya gave them both a somewhat encouraging smile and Astoria managed to put the pieces together.

"This is for us." Astoria muttered under her breath, trying to keep her lips from moving too much, hoping that Draco was able to hear. "This is a reveal. _That's_ why everyone's together. This isn't for Saf, it's for –"

"This is my son, Draco." Narcissa introduced with a proud smile, instinctively fixing his collar.

"I almost didn't recognise you." The older woman to Narcissa's right said almost sternly, an eyebrow lifting as she looked at Draco with a critical eye. "I haven't seen you in ages." Draco looked at his mother with a subtle questioning look, extending the woman's "ages" to a hefty plausible century.

"Mother." Narcissa said softly, not commenting on the favour she just did her son. She looked to Astoria with a kind smile and gentle eyes. "This is Astoria."

The woman, presumably Mrs Black, ahhed, turning her critical eye. "You're engaged to my grandson."

"Indeed I am, ma'am." Astoria said softly, curtseying politely. The women around her muttered to each other.

"You're very polite." Mrs Black said curtly, obviously not so polite herself.

"Thank you." Astoria smiled.

"Not bad looking, either." Mrs Black continued, pinching at Astoria's chin and using it to move about her head. Visibly, Narcissa stiffened which panicked Astoria greatly – not even her daughter knew of her intent with her actions. "High cheekbones, lovely eyes, good nose, long eyelashes and nice lips." Mrs Black's face came together as she continued to scrutinise Astoria closely. "You'll create good off spring." She looked to her own daughter and nodded stiffly. "Perhaps you can make good decisions, Narcissa."

"They look positively _darling_ together." A woman purred, far too young on the eyes to be a Senior, so most likely a Poster, albeit not a very successful one, Astoria didn't even recognise her. "You're right, Druella, they will make _wonderful_ children." The woman crowed, holding out her hand, beckoning the young, forced-against-their-will couple towards her. Astoria smiled kindly, not tolerating the idea of coyly saying _barely eleven and you're already picturing my own children._ "Even prettier up close." The woman muttered, smiling pleasantly. "You've got a handsome boy, Narcissa." Astoria let out a shallow sigh of relief, happy to hand over the spotlight to Draco who looked just as awkward as she felt.

"Thank you, Priscilla." Narcissa said warmly and upon realising the sense of proudness that came from their Superintendent when cooed at over her son, a large majority of the Poster women scrambled to comment on Draco's good looks.

"Tell me, Astoria," the so-called Priscilla asked, taking the heat from Draco and placing it back on her "have you… _matured_ yet?" Astoria frowned slightly, unsure of what the woman was hinting it.

"Um," Astoria muttered, instinctively looking to Safiya for help.

Safiya smiled softly and Astoria felt lost at sea, not liking the fair distance between the two of them. "Last summer, Priscilla." She said, sitting forwards and resting her elbows on the table. "Last July." Astoria looked ahead, blinking slowly as she realised she was talking of _periods_. She felt mortified but was determined not to let it show.

"I always forget that you have two step-daughters, Safiya." Priscilla commented lightly. "I suppose, it's better you than their own mother, isn't it? Violeta was always –"

"It's a bit tactless, Priscilla, bad mouthing Astoria's mother in her presence, isn't it?" Narcissa commented, a small smile on her face that said a thousand words of her disapproval and her thumb keeping her chin held high as she stared down the other woman. There was no denying that Narcissa was perfectly suited for the role as the essential ring leader.

"Sorry, dear." Priscilla muttered, giving Astoria's hand a small squeeze before releasing it completely, looking highly apologetic and a little embarrassed.

"Ria, come sit." Safiya said tersely, scraping her chair back and presenting her lap to her youngest child. "Draco, pull up a chair by me, if you want." Draco was caught between wanting to sit close to his mother for comfort and wanting to be away from his Grandmother's vile tongue and sharp nails. It took him half a second to decide that Safiya was probably the safer option

"Your mother is fine, if you were wondering." Safiya said quietly as Astoria took seat in her lap and Draco sat gingerly in his offered seat. He hated it, feeling so helpless and _shy_ but he really couldn't help it – it took him only moments to realise that these women were cut throat.

"I was not wondering, but thank you for informing me." Astoria snarked quietly with a coy smirk.

"She thinks it was an accident." Safiya continued as if Astoria hadn't spoke up. "Of course, her _darling_ princess wouldn't do no fly any –"

"This is the problem with parenting, these days!" Mrs Black crowed, shaking her head with disagreement, her beady eyes not leaving Safiya and Astoria, watching disapprovingly. "There's too much _love_. How are they supposed to know when they've been behaving exceedingly well?"

"Yes, mother," Narcissa said dryly with an eye role "how dare a parent show a child any affection?"

"Don't _you_ start, Narcissa, I kept a perfectly good distance from you and Bellatrix and you both turned out well, didn't you?"

"Ah, yes." Narcissa muttered, taking a small sip from her goblet and arching a perfectly plucked brow. "I'm doing fine. I have supplied an heir to the Malfoy line," she motions briefly to Draco "I'm the Superintendent, I have successfully arranged a marriage to further extend the line and ensured that the next in line after me will be without a question." Narcissa pouted her lips and nodded. "Yes, and Bella, she's doing herself fine, I suppose, withering away madly in Azkaban. Yes, mother, not showing a simple detail of affection and love really did _wonders_." Mrs Black pursed her lips and sent her daughter a black stare. "Would either of you like some tea, Astoria? Draco?"

"Oh, please, Narcissa."

Mrs Black scoffed loudly, shaking her head with even more disapproval. "For Merlin's sake, Narcissa, you're mothering a girl who's not even in your family!"

"She will be." Narcissa said curtly, manually pouring out two cups of the tea to hand off. "Perhaps you should lay back on the mead, mother? You will regret being so hostile when you eventually sober." Narcissa received yet another withering glare from her mother and Astoria felt rather privileged. "Here you are, darlings." Narcissa slid two cups of tea towards them with a small, private smile directed at Astoria and that was the first time that she felt like they were bonding, somewhat.

/ / /

In the late night of August 31, Malfoy Manor was silent. The house elf's were sleeping soundly in their respective burrows, Narcissa Malfoy was sleeping soundly in her bed, Lucius Malfoy was in his study doing whatever he did, Draco Malfoy was quilling down his homework that he had left until last moment, and Astoria Greengrass was tiptoeing through the Manor's corridors, busy worrying about being put anywhere besides Slytherin.

She had never been to Draco's room, the place where she was trying to scout out to calm her worries, but she had seen him disappear into it quite a few times whether it be before bed or if he was just going to grab something quickly before he and Astoria went outside to sit under the large tree. It was at the opposite end of Malfoy Manor in the West as opposed to Astoria's holiday room in the East. She clutched a courting candle tightly to see the halls she was navigating around, her bare feet patting lightly against the hard wood floor. Portraits of long since deceased Malfoy family members made disgruntled noises as she tiptoed through the second floor, but luckily enough, not one awoke.

When in the West side of Malfoy Manor, Draco's room was easy enough to locate with a soft, glowing light shining from underneath his door. Astoria took a deep breath before tapping at the wood lightly, shuffling her feet almost shyly as she awaited his cautious response. "Enter." Twisting the door knob, she stepped in, smiling almost bashfully at his rather shocked features. "I didn't expect you, I thought you were my mother."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Astoria mumbled modestly, digging her big toe into the ground as the door fell softly shut behind her. An awkward silence drifted between them and she could feel her face burn as Draco didn't go back to his school work, instead staring right at her, brows pinched together. A light breeze fell in through the ajar window, winding itself around Astoria's bare legs and up through her night shirt. She shivered slightly, clenching her toes at the hardwood. "I can shut that, if you want." Draco offered, placing his school books on the vacant pillow by his side.

"Oh no." Astoria quickly admonished, shaking her head. "It's, uh, it's fine. You'll only swelter if it isn't open."

"You can sit down." Draco drawled, not dropping the look of inquiry. Astoria fumbled slightly, beginning to rethink her plan of ever stepping out of her room in the first place. Surely, he thought her insane? Creeping into his room in the dead of night only to stand by his door, avoiding his watchful eye and holding a candle stick? "Alright." She mumbled, placing the candle stick on the chest of drawers by the door and taking awkward steps to the bed. She sat by Draco's legs, unsure if it was somewhat to presuming to lean against the headboard alongside him. She pulled the thin cloth of her night gown over her knees, stretching out the cotton so it was tucked under her toes. For warmth, she reasoned with herself, completely ignoring the niggling voice in her head that repeatedly told her that it was all for some sort of protection from the boy that sat opposite her. "Are you nervous?" Draco asked vaguely and Astoria squeezed her arms around her legs a little tighter as punishment for wondering which situation he was referring to; the adventure she would begin the next day or the predicament she had ultimately led herself into right then.

"Very." She muttered, hooking her chin under the collar of her nightshirt, catching the hem in her mouth. "What if I end up in _Hufflepuff_?" She asked, voice slightly muffled by the fabric in her mouth. Draco snorted. Hufflepuff's were obnoxiously kind, aggravatingly generous and irritatingly loyal – Astoria couldn't fit in Hufflepuff even if she tried. She had a smoulder that made her look as if she burned butterflies for fun, drowned kittens for a hobby and kicked puppies for a pick-me-up.

"You won't be Hufflepuff."

"What if I'm a Gryffindor? Or – Or a Ravenclaw?"

If he had been perhaps a little bit more normal and brought up by a family who were _not_ the Malfoy's, he would have sympathised with or at the young girl who sat skittishly at the bottom of his bed with a look of pure, wholesome worry. But he was not brought up normally and he was brought up by the Malfoy's so simply, Draco just laughed, a chortle, really. He felt no worries about what house _he_ would end up in. The Greengrass', so he had been told, were all notorious in their placement in Slytherin too, but Astoria was brought up in a different manner than her father had been and any other Greengrass before her and her sister. Their mother was an utter basket case and their father had died before he could really install any Slytherin House pride in them. Astoria was a lost cause when it came to knowing entirely what she wanted. In her heart, it was Slytherin, but her worries were too strong for her to be perfectly confident.

Instead of calming her worries with gentle coos of reassurance, he decided the mock her, afterall, it seemed to be the obvious solution. "You'd make a ruddy awful Gryffindor." He sneered. Astoria smiled behind the cloth of her night gown. "You're too catty, for one and you're more idiotic rather than brave." Astoria arched a brow but did not spout any objections. "I guess Ravenclaw may be an option." Astoria's face slumped. "But I think your skill for cunning and self-preservation by far outweighs your desire to learn." Draco wasn't so sure this was true, he had known her all of two weeks in total and he had learned much more about the pureblood world from her than he ever had from both his parents. She had a thirst for knowledge that he didn't think he had ever or would ever possess.

"What homework were you doing?" She asked quietly after a second and he could hear it in her tone that his method of soothing her worries had soothed her rather well. Draco felt the need to take his last statement back, her keen interest in such wasteful, mind numbing tasks such as homework had contradicted him completely. He didn't say anything, deciding that, perhaps, a content and calm Astoria was by far better than a worried one.

"Potions." Draco answered shortly. Without much indication, Astoria reached forwards and grabbed the book he had placed down, scanning through pages at a time.

"I don't know what some of these words mean." She said quietly, frowning ever so slightly. "I know how to pronounce them and how to use them in sentences, but I don't know the meaning of them."

"I didn't know what they meant, either, if it's any consolation."

"Do you know what they mean now?" She quizzed, flicking further through the book.

"Well, yeah. That's what they do in school, they teach you things." While he was not sure what reaction he would have thought Astoria to have after his snarky comment, he certainly did not expect her to grin widely. "What are you smiling at?"

"I'll know these things, won't I? Perhaps a few of these words by the end of next week."

"And this… _excites_ you?" Draco looked a great deal more than perplexed. Astoria did not let his mood disrupt her happy one.

"Of course." She smiled. "Just reading of all these terms for so long and not knowing what they mean is impeccably aggravating. It's all kind of exciting knowing that I'll know of all these terms and phrases will suddenly make sense, you know?"

"No." Draco said blandly. "I don't know."

Astoria smiled and rolled her eyes. "Do you like my hair?" She asked with a childish innocence as she abruptly changed the topic conversation, brushing her fingers over her braided hair. Had it been the older Greengrass sister to ask, Draco would have scoffed and told her to get a grip of herself, that he didn't care, not giving a single damn about her feelings but for some reason, for some _inexplicable_ reason, he felt no desire to do that to Astoria. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that she often portrayed herself to be a hard girl in attempt to appear older than a newly turned eleven year old, so when she acted like a child, it was slightly startling.

"It's nice, I guess."

"Your mother did it for me." She pottered on. "Your mother plays modest, but she's really good, did you know?" Draco did not know, having never needed to have his hair groomed into a French braid in his life. Rather than saying this, he simply rolled his eyes, taking back his potions book, dead set on resuming his homework. Astoria untucked her legs from her night gown and folded them over each other, allowing the stretched fabric to pool between her legs. "What do you learn about at Hogwarts?" She pondered and Draco began to regret soothing her nerves.

"I don't know if anyone's told you this yet, Azzy, but we learn of _magic_. You're a _wizard_."

Astoria's dream struck face moulded by the aspects of education crumpled into a masterful smoulder. " _Don't_ call me Azzy, Draco, I hate it and I wish you'd never met my mother."

"You and me both." Draco muttered, mind flashing back to the atrocity in all black, feathers and a hangover. "What's the big deal with _Azzy_ anyway? Is your mother allergic to going with something more respectable and that doesn't sound like an alternative name for a donkey?"

"Don't be silly, you saw Saf and my mother bicker last holidays, there's no way Violeta would _ever_ settle for calling me something that Saf does. She's got to be different, my precious mother." Draco didn't doubt this, feathers filled his mind. "Anyway," Astoria muttered, hoping to brush aside that particular conversation topic "tell me of the lessons."

Draco drew an impatient breath. "There really isn't much to know. They're all set in a classroom – except Herbology, that's in a greenhouse – and they all have their respective professors. Seriously, Astoria, there isn't much about them."

"Tell me about the professors, then." Astoria pleaded, jutting her lower lip out in a dramatic pout.

"Are you _always_ this aggravating or is this just a special show for me only?" Draco snipped, closing the potions textbook forcefully, amending to the fact that Astoria would not let him work away peacefully, as he had been doing before her surprise arrival.

" _Please_ , Draco. Pretty please, pretty please, pretty please, pretty –"

"Merlin, Astoria." Draco groaned, throwing his quill at her face in a successful attempt to quieten her. "I swear, your name is just another synonym for _annoying_."

"They do both start with the same letter." She grinned. Draco could see no correlation but decided against stating it. Really, his goal was to get her to be quiet for at _least_ five minutes for the benefit of his mind, body and soul. Upon realising that his goal would be rather unachievable if he did not relent to her request, he let out a strained sigh. "I'll speak of Hogwarts, but _I_ am picking the topic." Astoria looked positively elated. "I won't be wasting time talking of such mundane things like _lessons_ , _classrooms and professors_." Astoria looked accomplished, like she had just won a shiny, golden medal. She tucked her limbs into herself, curling into a tiny ball, freeing a single arm to keep her head propped up. Draco started talking when Astoria ceased to fidget, talking of the Slytherin Common Room and when he had explained every inch of that, he spoke of the grand feasts and then, with a great deal of discontent with himself, he spoke of Professor Binns and barely got through his explanation of how Binns is able to cope with such juvenile tasks being a ghost when a soft sigh escaped Astoria's mouth and her head started to fall down her arm before slumping down onto his bed sheets. Draco frowned, rather irked that she had literally _begged_ for him to spout the wonders of Hogwarts to her and the little sod had fallen asleep. Draco reopened his text book and picked up his homework from where he left off.

It wasn't until the grandfather clock in the hall out from his room struck eleven that Draco grew rather tired. With his potions homework out the way and only history of magic to go, he decided that he'd nag at Daphne for the answers in a bid to get some sleep – she'd always had a weird fascination with it and came out with top marks in every homework piece. Putting away his parchment, textbooks and quill and blowing out the candle, Draco suddenly became very aware of the silent girl curled at the foot of his bed like a pet dog and he was stretched far out of his comfort zone. Not only had he never had a pet dog while growing up, he had also never shared a bed with anyone in his entire life – the sleeping segment of sleepovers were held in separate rooms, or if exceptionally close, a bed would be charmed from mid-air and his room would be supplied with two, no bed sharing involved. He was stuck in a momentary debate with himself about whether he should wake her and tell her to get away from his room, find himself a vacant guest bedroom (Merlin knows that the Malfoy's had plenty) or suck it up and just accept his fate. The debate was short lived as it became increasingly harder to open his eyes after blinking. "You really are insufferable." Draco muttered into the dark, hoping that his bleary eyed glare was pinned on Astoria and she could feel it in her dream world. Still, sleep was easy enough to find, even in his state of extreme discomfort.

"Draco, darling, it's time to – oh."

Mortified didn't cover what Draco was feeling as his mother looked surprised (in his groggy state he couldn't tell if she was more angry or passive about the ordeal in front of her), brows perched high on her forehead, looking at Astoria, who was still curled at the foot of his bed and hadn't seemed to move a muscle that entire night. Unsure of how he could get out of the situation with his dignity intact, he kicked the girl roughly, sending her flying to the floor. She seemed to go down like a sack full of bricks in a river, colliding with the ground with a light thump. She straightened in seconds, looking to Draco with a glare of a thousand daggers. "You _sod_!" She screeched. Within seconds, she had clambered back atop the bed and was slamming her fists down on every lump under the quilt like a true madwomen.

"You're crazy!" He yelped, feeling a little hurt that his own mother didn't take the time to scold the obviously bat excrement crazy woman who was beating down mercilessly on her _only son_. Instead, Narcissa looked almost bored, leaning against the door frame and looking over her painted nails.

"You could have – _no_ , should have woken me!" Astoria located the pillow, picking it up and smacking it down.

"Well, I'll know to do that next time, won't I?"

" _Don't_ be so presumptuous." Astoria snarled, discarding of the pillow and straightening up, pinning her arms by her sides, her chest heaving as she breathed harshly through her nose.

"Oh, you two are done, are you?" Narcissa asked, her tone aloof and cool. "Fantastic. We're having breakfast at the Greengrass Estate, so if you two could meet us by the door without maiming each other, that would be superb." Flashing an excellent smile, Narcissa walked off.

"Psycho." Draco muttered, smoothing down his tousled hair.

" _Sod_." Astoria followed Narcissa's lead, exiting the room leaving her candle stick behind on the dressing table and in place, seeming to take any morsel of dignity that Draco had that morning with her.

/ / /

I was debating whether or not to have breakfast with the Zabini's ft Daphne Greengrass at the bottom of this chapter, but I think I may just lump it in with the start of Astoria's Hogwarts adventure. I would also like to say thank you for the lovely responses this story has received, I was a bit on the fence about this entire idea as I'm going to try to make the chapters between 8,000 and 11,000 words each time which is by far different that my other stories, so I was unsure if I would be able to write it all without waffling on. If, at any point, you feel like I'm making the characters to OOC then please inform me, I want to make it as close to canon as possible.

Reviews are better than ice cream (which is pretty damn great).


	4. Chapter 4

**I really should be studying for my upcoming exams and writing my essays about David Cameron and Social Inequalities and the likes, but this is so much more intriguing and fun to write. If there is any lessons to learn from me, let it be that you do not priorities your hobby of writing over your ever crucial education. Without further ado, though, the next chapter…**

The Greengrass Estate was in its prime during the summer months. The white brick of the house positively glowed under the sun's rays, the grass looked as green as ever, several horses were galloping and flying freely across the acers upon acres of land, the coastal landscapes that surrounded them glistened, and flowers and fruits bloomed on each tree and bush. It was a truly wonderful – if not magical – place. "The sea is lovely and warm to swim in during summer." Astoria had said during the carriage ride there. "Blaise and I dive off the cliff. Daphne's too chicken." They made no stops at Violeta's house, to which Astoria told Draco snidely that he best not build his hopes up, she had most definitely not received an invitation to breakfast.

"I do hope the house elves have laid out fresh fruit for us all to enjoy." Astoria pondered aloud whimsically. Her chin was propped atop her lightly clenched fist as she stared out the window. Narcissa' was silently fiddling with her hair, twisting it into a beautiful braid, a hair pin and hair bobble dangling from her mouth delicately. Draco and Lucius sat upon the same bench, facing front, eyeing up the Greengrass Estate eagerly, both taking a silent pride that it was still smaller in appearance than their own home.

"Why would you want _that_ batty old thing serving your food?" Draco sneered, turning his attention to the occupant of the home he was ogling at.

" _Elves_ , Draco, elves as in plural." Astoria sat a little straighter. "We have three house elves including Trinket, so really we only have two. There's Morrice and Drippy who are both perfectly functional and I like them perfectly fine."

"You don't like Trinket. You _despise_ him. Your sister told me so."

"That brazen shrew." Astoria muttered distastefully. "Did she happen to tell you that she hates him as much as I?" Astoria gave a rather unflattering snort. "Now _that's_ saying something. I loathe the beast."

Astoria's strong use of language that had not yet stepped over the line of un-lady like and considered adult only, but was dancing dangerously close to it had piqued Lucius Malfoy's interest. Turning to look at her rather calculatingly, he drawled icily; "why, Miss Greengrass, aren't these emotions too advanced for an eleven year old girl?"

Draco smirked victoriously at the rather perplexed Astoria before opening his mouth, a sudden urge to get his vendetta against the girl over and done with before breakfast (the lack of food made him especially malicious). "She threatened to kick it down the stairs." He said knowingly, catching the way Astoria's face moulded into one of unpleasant shock, resuming her self-proclaimed duty of staring out the window to avoid the Senior Malfoy's gaze. "And she taunted it with her father's death, it became rather distraught."

"Serves the beast right." Lucius snarled lightly, tipping his head back against the wall of the carriage. Astoria attempted to hide her growing smile and Draco balked at his father. "What does the world come to when house elves spit down on their masters?" Narcissa rolled her eyes, silently thankful that the Greengrass Estate was now so large that it could not all fit in the window as they grew closer and the cobbled road turned to gravel, she was not sure if she wanted to object her future daughter-in-law to Lucius' opinionated rambles. Not yet, anyway. "Keep of the behaviour, my girl, put those filthy cretins in their place." Lucius went unusually silent and Narcissa stop mid-tie to peer at him curiously. "Do you want to know what I –" The carriage came to a halt which had successfully put Lucius's ramblings to bed for the time being, hopefully all the way through breakfast, at least, and if he were feeling particularly chivalrous, perhaps he would keep it at bay until the Hogwarts Express was rolling away.

"All done." Narcissa said into Astoria's ear, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The doors to the estate swung open before anyone within the carriage had the chance to stand up. At what Narcissa first thought to be the nurturing mechanisms of a mother turned out to be Daphne Greengrass, bounding down the porch stairs, hurtling towards the carriage at full speed. Astoria wasted no time on flinging the carriage door open, jumping down to meet her sister half way. It hurt, only a little, to watch the bond of siblings that she herself had been so accustomed to while growing up and all in the space of two years, she was left alone, unbearably so. Andromeda – or the _middle one_ as people had identified her if she must be identified – and Bellatrix had both followed their own ideas of how the world should be, ending up being polar opposites, leaving their youngest sister stranded in the middle between what was supposedly right and what was supposedly wrong. Narcissa had stayed dutifully loyal to the Black family, she did what was expected, following only her mother's heart and not her own. It was stupid of her to do so, she knew that much (even if Lucius constantly reminded her that she was doing what was right, that not being reckless was why she managed to maintain such a level head and in turn gained wonderful things, but how would he know? He was, after all, a man, completely oblivious to the intricate detailing's of the way pureblood woman are expected to work), but that was something she never liked to dwell upon, what was done was done and in the end, she was the only one with the Black's as her family and out of prison.

The two Zabini's trickled out of the grand Estate next, much slower than the eldest Greengrass girl had. Blaise even had a flicker of excitement on his usually stoic demeanour. Narcissa placed a hand between her sons shoulder blades and gave a light shove, guiding him towards the mass of limbs and excited squeals and giggles of the Greengrass sisters while Lucius went to mutter instructions to the little man upon the carriage of where to meet them next. "Daphne," Safiya said when close enough "I know you are excited, lovely, but you and Astoria won't look so doll if you're both tumbling to the ground, muddying up your beautiful dresses." With a dramatic pout, Daphne released her younger sister from her grasp and settled for grabbing onto her hand with extreme force.

"I have already spoken to Pansy, Trace and Millie, they want you to sit with us just as much as I do, if not _more_." Daphne's beam became a little more confused. "I don't know why they're so excited, though." She muttered more to herself that to anyone else.

"There is also a space open alongside me if Daphne's ditsy drag of dithering Y's get on your nerves." Blaise said coolly, not stumbling over his quite alliteration techniques.

"There is?" Draco asked, nose scrunching with slight distaste. He wasn't about to make it secret that the idea of Astoria following him around the Hogwarts Express – never mind _Hogwarts_ – was rather off putting and something he didn't want to be a part of. As far as he was concerned, he and Astoria could keep out of each other's way for as long as possible with that single week of each holiday's being the only exception. They could make up for lost time when they were betrothed and forced to be in one another's presence almost constantly. He liked her enough to consider her a friend of sorts, he didn't particularly want to ruin that by growing bored of her as he ultimately would. Preferably, he would like to grow sick of her _after_ they married.

"Yes, Malfoy." Blaise said as if he were talking to an incompetent infant. "As far as I am concerned, my younger sister can sit where she likes, and if she wants to sit with me then so be –"

"Come on now, boys." Daphne said silkily. "Let us put your wands and measuring tape away, alright?" With that, Daphne tugged on Astoria's hand lightly, leading her towards their home. Safiya balked and spluttered, unsure whether the sexual innuendo was intended or if Daphne really was that innocent.

"Don't worry, Saf!" Astoria called over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. "I don't think she knows what the metaphor _really_ means!"

"And _you_ do?" Astoria did not reply, just encouraged her elder sister on their escape to the safety of the inside of the Estate.

Once all had been tucked in at the breakfast table, terrific mounds of fresh fruit, warm toast, large varieties of cereal and pots of tea, coffee and juice already were already being consumed, excited chatter surrounding the table. Astoria stayed quieter than normal, choosing to take in the moment or something close to perfection and store it somewhere special. There was something about the way everyone was smiling freely (even Draco and his father had managed to drop their pretentious air in order to enjoy the time) that made Astoria's insides warm. "If you don't get into Slytherin, Ria, I'll eat all of my hats." Daphne proclaimed boldly.

"Why would you want to eat your hat?" Astoria questioned, eyebrows creasing together, her spoon stopping midway on route to her mouth.

"Huh? I don't want to eat my hat!"

"You _just_ said –"

"It got to the point when I was just begging to Merlin for there to be a freak shot of lightening and land _directly on her_." Narcissa drew a sharp breath, attempting to regain her patience. "I don't understand why she hasn't died yet. Father has passed, Aunt Walburga is dead, Uncle Orion is dead, Uncle Alphard is dead, but my mother is still kicking." Narcissa stabbed at a grape with unnecessary force. "She's alive just to spite me, I can tell."

"Your father said _what_?" Blaise asked lowly, eyes widening with a mixture of questions and pure, undeniable delight.

"That there is to be big changes at Hogwarts." Draco replied quietly with a smug smile. "He won't tell me how, but he says it will be _well_ worth the wait."

"I just don't think you should say things that you don't mean." Astoria shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "If you don't want to eat your hat, then why would you –"

"Ria, it's an expression." Daphne looked truly beat. "I'm saying that because I think you'll be sorted into Slytherin. That means I won't _have_ to eat my –"

"But what if I get into Ravenclaw? Then you're going to have to eat your entire hat collection and I really don't think the body knows how to digest –"

"That's precisely why I didn't move back to Gao with my parents." Safiya said tersely. "It's almost as if our generations mother's make it their duty to be annoyingly interfering." She sipped at her tea. "You don't think it's a cycle, do you? One mother is distant from their children leading their children to be coddling to their own children leading them to be distant from their children and so on and so forth."

"Perhaps." Narcissa allowed. "But I've only ever met my father's mother twice. Once the day _that_ happened and the second was to spout disappointment because I wasn't marrying a cousin."

"Perhaps Dumbledore is retiring? Maybe that half-breed of a goon outside has been banished?" Blaise suggested, grin getting more wicked after each of his suggestions.

"He'd dance and sing if _any_ of those were true." Draco muttered, looking truly stumped and beginning to feel a little neglected of his father's trust. "He merely looked happy."

"Mistress Safiya!"

Safiya was drawn from her conversation, pinning Morrice the house elf with an inquisitive look. "What is it, Morrice?" She snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy?" At her tone, Lucius looked mildly impressed.

"You tolds me to say when the clock strikes ten fifteen on the dot, Mistress!" Morrice squeaked, large eyes unblinking. It was rather unnerving.

"Very well. You, Drippy and Trinket take a trunk each and meet us by the fireplace." Morrice did not move. "What are you waiting for? Go!" Morrice fled with a crack. "I have made links with the Ministry so we can apparate directly to the platform." Safiya informed the Malfoy's with a gentle smile. "I don't think mingling with muggles sets up for a good luck charm on your first day back at school, don't you think?" Rhetorical question. Safiya slid her chair back, rising to her feet, hands balling and un-balling at her sides. "Astoria, Daphne and I packed everything you need." She muttered without looking at any child. She left the dining room.

"What are we all waiting for, then?" Narcissa said with forced brightness, following in Safiya's footsteps as she too adopted a strange persona. She lingered by the doorway, looking rather skittish.

"What are you waiting for, Draco?" Lucius snapped as everyone stood before his son, who was draining the rest of his juice. "The cows to come home?" At his father's bark, he abandoned his juice and breakfast, following everyone obediently. As he passed, Lucius gave him a sharp tap on the ankles. It was always good to know that his father wouldn't be missing him openly any time soon.

/ / /

Astoria wasn't sure if she much liked the Narcissa Malfoy that she presented herself to be in public. This Narcissa wasn't all smiles like the sun, this Narcissa was frowning and glaring at anyone who passed that she didn't recognise, scowling at any child who passed in muggle clothing and sneering at any wizard or witch who passed in robes that looked anything less than expensive. It was materialistic of her, Astoria supposed, feeling rather discontent that this was what her future could be like in the next few years. Safiya didn't hold a portrait of her aspired self, Safiya was constantly the same person – snappy, witty, charming and beautiful. It was only for her three children that she was anything else.

"I don't suppose you want to forget about your education and rely on me until you are wed?" Safiya whispered into Astoria's ear. Astoria grinned, shaking her head. "I'm going to be ever so lonely without you, Ria. I know I nag, but I truly do love you."

"Being lonely isn't a _bad_ thing, remember? People take it for granted, _you_ told me that."

"I did, didn't I?" Safiya muttered, managing to muster up her own smile, thought it was a little strained, while wrapping an arm around the little girl. "Promise you won't forget about me, my dear Astoria?"

Astoria twisted, wrapping her stepmother in a tight embrace. "I would _never_ forget you." She said, voice muffled by the robes she was burying her face into, but she didn't care. "I hold you too dearly, Saf, I couldn't forget you even if I tried."

"Astoria, come on, I see Pansy!" Daphne beckoned, already inching her way towards her frantically waving friend. "You can write Saf on the train of your need is that great, but we have to go _now_!" Astoria sighed shallowly, looking at the scarlet train from the safe, tight embrace of her step mother.

"Mother hasn't arrived yet, Daph, can't we linger a few moments longer?" Because as much as Violeta grated each and every one of Astoria's nerves, she was still her mother.

"You have _got_ to stop awaiting on mother like this, Ria, it's unhealthy. The sooner you realise she's a no good for nothing bimbo the better." Daphne looked oddly old in the way she held herself right then, speaking of her mother like she was below them (because she is), ready to venture off and be completely self-reliant (because she was).

"She wrote and _said_ that she would –"

"Mother says many things, Astoria." Daphne snapped, beginning to grow impatient. "She's unreliable, now _come on_. I want to _go_." Astoria looked around the platform once more, looking for any sign of a flamboyant mess. There was none.

"Go on, Ria." Safiya coaxed softly, a whole lot more sensitive to the mother shaped hole in her heart than her sister. "Write me as soon as you're in your dorm, won't you? I can't wait to hear all about your day."

Astoria let out a larger sigh, relenting to her sisters incessant nagging and grasping at her trunk. "I'll write on top of my dinner if I have to."

"And do make friends, Ria, you can't rely on _only_ Blaise and your sister." Astoria started following Daphne, giving Safiya one last nod as reply to her request. She didn't _just_ have Daphne and Blaise. She smirked at the ground as they walked to the train. She also had Draco.

One settled in their carriage, Astoria noted the two sets of eyes eyeing her eagerly with an almost untamed hunger. "I'm Astoria." She offered meekly. "Daphne's –"

"Younger sister." Pansy finished with an almost smug smile. She was by far the prettiest of Daphne's friends (not including Daphne, she would always be particularly striking to Astoria in a totally biased way) and that was saying something. Her nose was rather upturned, but not due to her snobby behaviour, it was most likely down to a whole history of interfamily marriage and reproducing; her eyes were a rather nice shade of mud brown, Astoria decided to give her at least that; her hair was dark and looked like it had suffered years of forced straightening; her lips seemed to only have three positions, smirking, frowning or pouting; and her eyebrows were plucked to near perfection, a little red around the edges giving off the impression that they had recently been done. She seemed to be incredibly bitchy according to Daphne's stories and Astoria felt entirely grateful that she was showing her even a lick of interest. "We know who you are."

"You've met them many times, Ria." Daphne said softly, looking out at the crowds of people. "You need not reintroduce yourself."

"Just because you make a regular habit of forgetting your manners and etiquette, Daph, does not mean _I_ will." Astoria said prissily. Daphne scoffed, pressing her forehead against the cool of the window. "Besides, you never wanted me to interact with them because they are yours, you said so several times before my young self got the hint."

"That was because you were annoying back then. Come to think of it, you're rather annoying _now_ , why don't you go and sit with Blaise?"

"If I'm not wanted, then I may as well –"

"You're wanted." Millicent Bulstrode said quickly as Astoria stood. She studied her for a second, wondering why both her and Pansy were so involved and pressing. It was, after all, at Pansy's request that she share compartment with them? Astoria's eyes narrowed. "Alright." She said tersely. "I'll stay." She reclaimed her seat.

The door of the compartment slid open revealing a vibrant, well put together blonde. She was rather pretty herself, possibly even outranked Pansy had Astoria not clicked on at who exactly this was. "Hello, lot." She grinned rather magnificently, falling into the open seat by Astoria. She shuffled closer to her sister. "Astoria!" The girl, Tracey Davis, exclaimed with a happy smile. "You're starting Hogwarts!"

"Evidently." She replied dryly. Daphne tensed by her, elbowing her sharply. Astoria bristled as Tracey leaned over to Daphne, grasping at her hand and squealing at her tan. Gulping slowly, refraining herself from shrieking with disgust, Astoria bit down on her lower lip. She had never spoke to anyone who wasn't a pureblood. Tracey Davis, who was within close proximity, was a half-blood. Not half as bad as a mudblood or a _muggle_ but there was muggle blood coursing through her veins, no matter how small the percentage was. It was making Astoria incredibly uncomfortable.

"Ooh!" Tracey shrilled, sitting back and allowing Astoria to breath more evenly again. "Guess who I just saw in the halls, Pansy? _Draco_." Pansy face lit up and Astoria enveloped her left hand within her right, trying to hide the blaringly obvious glistening ring that she bore, not wanting to attract questions.

"I haven't seen him since school broke." Pansy said with a grin (maybe her lips could do _four_ things). "How did he look? Is he tanner? I did rather like the look of his skin tan when we came to Hogwarts last year. I thought he looked devilishly handsome." Astoria bit back her comment of how that pasty white skin of Draco's would most likely only burn under sun light as opposed to tan and he had looked whiter than a sheet of snow only that morning and the overshadow of clouds wouldn't be giving him colour any time soon.

"Pansy fancies Draco." Millicent said to Astoria, stating the obvious. She mustered up a smile, knowing that her potential friendship with Pansy would be dead and gone before it had the chance to blossom if she saw the rock on Astoria's left ring finger. She pressed her hand into her stomach hoping to conceal the friendship destructor. "It's rather pathetic, really." The train started to roll away from the station as Pansy scoffed.

"It is _not_." She huffed defiantly.

"Oh, but it is." Millicent practically sang. It did not suit her. "Especially since –"

" _Hush,_ Millie!" Tracey exclaimed with undeniable glee. Astoria didn't even think that she was trying to be subtle. "Astoria is sitting _right_ –"

"Oh, Ria won't say anything." Daphne assured with a warm smile. "She's very good at keeping secrets." Astoria mustered her own smile, supposing that was all down to her lack of friends and ratting her sister out to Safiya would be embarrassing and Blaise never gave her the reaction she was expecting. "She won't tell a soul."

"It's not about her keeping a secret." Pansy said with a small, uncaring shrug. "It's about that pretty little gem on her finger." Astoria balked. "You seriously didn't expect that we'd _not_ know, Daph?" Pansy asked, lips forming a pout as her head tipped to the side.

"I – I wasn't allowed to tell!" Daphne gasped out. "How did – _How did you_ –"

"The son of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black, the Superintendent of the Poster EPW getting engaged and the journalist word _not_ being interested? Puh- _lease_ , Daph, even the Prophet wrote about it." Pansy drawled. Astoria suddenly started feeling very attacked, wondering if their nice behaviour was all sarcastic and malicious. She began regretting not taking Safiya up on her playful offer of staying in the Greengrass Estate forever more, giving up on the prospect of her education.

"How long have you known for?" Daphne asked, seemingly having found her voice.

"I knew of his engagement in Easter but my mother refused to tell me who. When you were going to Greece, though, all of the magazines and papers had pictures of you and your sister walking about, just living your lives." The way Pansy was so flippant about the immoral exposure of two preteen girls was rather terrifying. "Everyone was absolutely _thrilled_ to see the next face of EPW before she became so… _elite_ , shall we say. No offence, Astoria, but you know how they are towards Juniors."

Astoria could feel herself pale. Daphne didn't have the same reaction. "New face? If they're interested in new faces, they should just walk around Kings Cross on the day term starts up. Why stalk us hen making a simple family trip to Greece." Daphne sneered, rolling her eyes heavily. "Trust Mother, Ria, to set you up a marriage with the son of the Super – _Holy Merlin_." Daphne joined Astoria in going pale. Pansy found the entire situation incredibly amusing.

"You didn't know?" She asked, smirking broadly. She hummed when neither of the sisters rushed to respond. "Isn't this just beautiful." She muttered. "Narcissa didn't tell you, Astoria?"

"Never breathed a word." Astoria muttered, feeling neglected by Narcissa's duty of responsibility. _Surely_ , she should have told her?

"You couldn't guess it?" Pansy asked with a wicked grin. "I would have had it been me." She proclaimed. Astoria glared weakly at her. "I mean, it's simple puzzle pieces, isn't it?" Millicent nodded in response, not grasping that it was entirely rhetorical. "Narcissa is Superintendent and the last of the Black line, she has no younger sisters and cousins to pass on the title to. She only ever had Draco and he's no female. The position would just _have_ to land upon his betrothed."

"Lucky for you, he snagged you young." Millicent muttered wistfully. Astoria wanted to roll her eyes, as if Draco would have ever married her had he not had any plans to marry Astoria. "You have _years_ to mould yourself into a suitable Superintendent to follow in Narcissa's shoes."

"It _does_ also help that your stepmother is Safiya. You're also the youngest of you and Daph meaning that you had longer under her influence. Had it relied strictly on status you probably would have gotten it anyway." Pansy eyed Daphne. "You would have gotten it had you and Nott not been engaged. The Malfoy family by _far_ outranks the Nott's."

"Well, obviously." The compartment door slid open revealing Draco (Pansy's face lit up) and two hulking boys stand by either side of him. Draco looked over the compartment, studying everyone intently before staring at Astoria with his pale brows raised. "Zabini wants you two." His eyes flicked over Daphne briefly.

"Can Blaise not make use of his own legs and get us himself?" Astoria asked, hoping that Pansy would get her nonverbal hint that she merely even tolerated the boy she fancies.

"For someone who lives with him, you really don't know him at all, do you Greengrass?" Pansy let out a shrill laugh at Draco's simple, barely even witty remark.

"Or do I know him enough to know that _you_ don't know him at all?" Astoria replied hotly. She stood and gave him a coy smile. "But he knows you, doesn't he, Draco?"

Draco gulped, unsure of how to take her taunting. Unsure of how to reply, he did so in the only way he knew how; mockery. "That may be so, _Azzy_. Bu that doesn't change the fact he sent me." Astoria glowered heavily at him.

"Come on, Ria." Daphne muttered, having already got to her feet. "We'll be back soon." She addressed to her group of friends. They followed Draco silently to his compartment, Astoria bewildered by the masses of children and teenagers around her to speak at all and Daphne was just being submissively silent, almost scared to speak in the presence of the renowned Malfoy boy who appeared to be somewhat of a ticking time bomb with his mood. Perhaps she wasn't scared, maybe just smart.

"What is it, Blaise?" Daphne asked when he came into view. "What is it you want?"

"I just wanted to ensure that you and our dearest Ria were alright, sister mine." Blaise drawled lazily, leaning against the wall of the carriage. "Mother would have my head if I didn't check up on her darling girls." His eyes flickered to Draco for the smallest of seconds and a victorious smirk lit up his face. Astoria rolled her eyes, knowing that this wasn't a check-up of brotherly love, it was a check on his dominance on the oblivious blonde. Astoria wanted to tell him, snicker in his face, perhaps, for being so thick skulled and not taking heed of Astoria's character check on Blaise. Draco had seemingly forgotten that Blaise was an Alpha Male, he always had been, and no self-entitled, pale, rich boy could change him. Draco was only allowed to roam the school with high status at Blaise's silent allowance. She was seeing her brother in a new light, one she liked much better than the old.

"How sentimental of you, brother." Astoria spoke up with the quirk of her eyebrow.

"You know me, Ria." Blaise shrugged, giving her a grin that, judging by Draco and his two henchmen's reaction, was something of a rarity at school. "Always the sentimental one." He gave her a wink, letting her know that he knew of her discovery. Doubling as a display of affection, Astoria managed to pick up on the subtle threat _tell my little lamb and I'll spill everything single detail I know about you_. She gave him her word silently with a grin.

"What are you two talking about?" Daphne asked, picking up on the silent conversation going on between siblings. When met with innocent looks, she sighed heavily. "Is this all, Blaise? Can I get back to my life?"

"Dance away, Daph." Blaise shrugged. "You, Ria, can stay put, however." Daphne began to protest but Blaise silenced her with the holding up of a single finger. "It's my turn to play with the new, shiny toy, Daphne. Remember to share."

"Find me when you've eaten, Astoria." Daphne said with a childish huff. "Sharing goes two ways, brother dearest. It's my turn after lunch." With that, Daphne exited the carriage, stepping into the one she had left only moments ago.

Blaise grinned. "Then we simply shall not eat."

"I am no toy." Astoria said adamantly, staring at Blaise with slightly narrowed eyes.

"But you are simply _so_ adorable." The corners of Blaise's mouth twitched. "Like those dolls you used to play with when you were younger. The one's with pegs?"

" _You_ used to call them ratty, if I recall correctly."

"You can always trail after your sister if you so wish, Ria." Blaise practically mocked, knowing fully well that she wouldn't. "I'm not binding you to shackles and attaching yourself to me." Astoria pursed her lips, thinking of Pansy dithering on about Draco's skin, making her skin crawl as she spoke of Astoria's newly discovered future of Superintendent of the a large proportion of her future EPW life. She would most likely be thrust into the role of Superintendent of the Juniors when she enters her seventh year. Quite possibly even her sixth…

"I shall grace you all with my presence." She smirked.

"What a blessing, truly." Blaise retorted silkily. "Lead the way, Malfoy." Draco did that without much hesitation. He slung an arm loosely around Astoria's shoulders, taking a deep breath and releasing it loudly. He was awaiting a compliment of his genius, Astoria suspected.

"It's cruel." She simpered instead. Instead of scoffing and releasing her of his embrace, he snickered. "Cruelly magnificent." She amended with a smirk.

"You're a doll."

/ / /

Astoria never did return to Daphne's compartment, something she was sure her sister would make her guilt over eventually, but the atmosphere within the second year Slytherin boys compartment was a lot less catty. Theo Nott was present, sitting in a corner reading intently, silently; Draco scribbled away at some unfinished homework, tapping the tip of his quill against the table when he struggled to find a word, marking the rood with permanent ink splotches; Crabbe and Goyle (Draco's henchmen of sorts) slept for the majority of the ride and when awake, grunted only in small words, not making much conversation; Blaise indulged Astoria, allowing her to quiz him on the pronunciation of words she had come across in her reading.

She felt strangely grown up in her uniform that had been tailored perfectly. She had never worn skirts before, Safiya dressed all three of her children smartly, in proper dress robes or, if a less formal occasion, simple, elegant robes. It was a weird sensation, her bare legs on show for all to see when she could count the people who had seen them on both hands (Draco, as of the night before, his mother, Violeta, Safiya, Blaise, Daphne and her father had, before he had passed). She supposed to could put the toll up to around one thousand now. The tie that hung around her neck was plain black, she was hoping to see it go green and silver by the end of the night. She left her knee-length robes open allowing herself to air from the heat. Her white blouse was tucked primly into her skirt that sat just below the knee respectably. She was oddly pleased with how her school experience was going so far, especially when she laid eyes on a small ginger girl – a first year, too, judging by the bank tie – with a mixture of baggy and tiny clothes. "Don't go near her." Draco had said as they awaited the exiting of the train. "She's a _Weasley_." Astoria shuddered at this, she did not like the Weasley's. A bunch of Traitors to The Cause, she could recall her father saying. Although it was not a spoken rule, she knew better than to associate with Blood Traitors.

Her school experience felt significantly more terrible when she stepped off a boat that she had been lead on by a half-breed, judging by his abnormal height. Astoria suspected him to be distantly related to giants. The half-beast took them to the entrance hall, informing them in his ridiculous way that Professor McGonagall was being held up with some official business.

" _We're_ going to be Sorted into Slytherin." Two girls said together. Astoria looked to the source of the duet of voices and blinked in surprise at the two identical looking girls who were speaking with _her_.

"So am I." Astoria said confidently. " _You_ are?" She asked rudely, because she was wildly taken back by the sheer number of children talking of contraptions she had never heard before and immediately identified them all to be of filthy blood.

The two girls looked outraged by her tone of voice. Purebloods, Astoria clicked but didn't allow herself to feel bashful at her lack of manners. "Flora." One of the twins said, jabbing a pointy finger at herself. "Hestia." Her finger went to her sister. " _Carrow_." They spoke like this was meant to mean something. It did, but not significantly. They were a well-known family, mentioned in the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but that book had been written in the 1930s and they had lost a remarkable amount of status since then, had they ever even had any. Although their blood may be pure, they were as filthy as a respectable, pure family could get without going traitorous. "What of _you_?" The girl, Flora, sneered.

"Astoria." She answered shortly, turning to face the grand oak doors that had not yet been opened. They would know eventually of her true identity. For now, they could revel in feeling of the superior blood. Really it was charity work, Astoria sneered to herself, those two would not feel superior for much longer when they learn that the Carrow's are nothing in comparison to the Greengrass'.

Astoria twisted the ring on her left ring finger absentmindedly, trying to ignore the excited chatter of her fellow classmates as best as she could. She was successful until the doors opened and a stern, wicked looking woman stepped out, peering over the rim of her glasses at all of them. "Welcome." The woman spoke almost stonily. Astoria listened half-heartedly, looking around Professor McGonagall (as she had called herself) and into the Great Hall through the slight gap in the door. She couldn't see much, just a couple of students with their backs turned to her. She thought she could see a flicker of blue on the backs of their ties, but she was unsure.

Obediently at McGonagall's word, Astoria followed her along with the rest of the First Year's into the hall in a single-file line. It was more magnificent that Draco, Blaise or Daphne had ever given it credit. Lit candles floated above them, just under the ceiling that was charmed gorgeously to resemble to night sky. Astoria allowed herself to admire it for a few seconds before she looked around for the table with green ties. She found it quickly, to the far left of the hall. Daphne sat by Blaise, grinning ecstatically and waving in her direction enthusiastically. Astoria mustered her own wave. She could see Theodore sitting across from Daphne, head turned to stare at the new gaggle of first years. He sat to the right of Draco and Astoria found it rather amusing that the two fiancés of the Greengrass girls were sitting by each other. Nobody else thought it amusing.

Silently, McGonagall placed a four legged stool in front of them all, placing the pointed Sorting Hat atop it moments later. Seconds of silence past before it opened its obscure mouth, belting out a song of ridiculousness. Astoria rolled her eyes, she had never been one for musical theatrics.

When over, Astoria smiled politely and clapped. McGonagall stepped back up, unravelling a long piece of parchment. She cleared her thorat before speaking. "When I call your name," she said loud and clear "you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." The first years around Astoria bristled with anticipation, she struggled to find their nerves. "Avery, Nicolai!"

And thus the sorting began and with each student who got sorted (Nicolai Avery didn't even need to sit upon the stool for long until a loud, bellowing yell of _Slytherin_ erupted from the sorting hat) she began to understand the nerves of everyone else.

"Carrow, Flora!" One of the Carrow twins elbowed her way past Astoria, moving too quickly to be shouted at by her victim. Flora sat upon the stool and before the hat was placed upon her head, the Hat yelled the house she had predicted. Astoria's heart sunk. "Carrow, Hestia!" With a smirk, the second twin sauntered up to the stool and just like her twin sister, the hat hadn't been placed properly before it yelled out _Slytherin_. The twins took seat by Avery, who had sat to Theo's left.

Several more children stepped up to the stool, being placed in their respective houses before they reached the letter _G_. "Greengrass, Astoria!" She ignored the loud claps and cheers coming from her sister, making a mental note to shout at her about that later.

She sat upon the stool, but not before she managed to take a look at the flabbergasted twins faces, giving them a smirk. " _Aaah, another Greengrass girl. Daphne's sister, eh?_ "

"Yes." Astoria thought curtly, this would not be the last time she would be referred to as such, she supposed.

" _One of my more finer placements, I feel. Unexpected, but it suits her impeccably well…_ "

"May we drop talk of my sister and get onto me?" Astoria was already on the stool longer than the twins. It was beginning to get rather mortifying.

" _At your wish, Miss Greengrass_." The Hat said. " _Your intelligence is astounding. Such vast variety. You would do well in Ravenclaw_." Before Astoria could protest, the Hat carried on. " _Hufflepuff is not a house for you._ " It decided. _"While you experience loyalty, it only extends to those you call family – not even all of them make the cut_." Astoria thought of Violeta. " _Brave as you may be, it all stems from your need to keep yourself in the clear. Yes, yes, I know exactly where to put you…"_

Astoria's heart froze.

"Slytherin!"

The Slytherin table erupted with enthusiastic cheers, the rest of the tables clapping with mere politeness. The hat was removed from her head and she made her way to her designated table, a proud smirk on her face. She claimed her seat by her sister, taking immense pleasure at the look of utter defeat from the two twins. It would be incredibly disheartening, learning of her lineage moments after victimising her and then coming to realise that that purity and grace would be sharing a dorm with them for the next seven years. Astoria wanted to sympathise with them but she was far too smug.

"Nicolai Lois Avery. Charmed." Avery extended a hand to Astoria, eyes roaming all that was visible of her body with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Astoria Vasilisa Greengrass. Pleasure." She took his outstretched hand, giving it a shake.

"I look forward to getting to know you better, Astoria."

"Likewise, Nicolai." It felt foreign, using his forename when Daphne had told her that anyone you are not closely acquainted with you refer by surname as some obscure sign of hostility mixed with respect. Perhaps, Astoria thought to herself, smiling at the empty plate as she dropped her hand to her side, Nicolai was her first friend.

/ / /

Astoria's dorm-mates were tolerable, at best. There was the twins, Flora and Hestia, who had tried there upmost hardest to get on her good side after their display of faux importance; Lacey Bourne who Astoria probably liked the best, she had barely spoken two words and the words she did speak was down at the Carrow's; Rose Rosier, Astoria pitied her unfortunate name and her happy-go-lucky attitude; and Bethan Jenkins who looked as timid and panicky as a mouse being hunted down by an owl.

Astoria felt miserable, Daphne had clutched her tight on their way down to the dungeons after the feast, squealing loudly and gushing about how she had just met the five girls who would be her lifelong friends. She wanted to combust.

"I read of you, you know." Rose grinned as she started unbuttoning her school blouse. Astoria didn't know if this was suitable for acquaintances to do in front of each other, strip down to fully naked like you were the day you were born into the world. None of the other girls protested. Astoria noted it down as normal, oddly so. "In my mummy's magazines. I was _dead_ excited when they said you would be coming to Hogwarts this year, too."

"Thanks." Astoria mumbled, sitting on her claimed bed, gingerly pulling off her socks.

"You're just so… _glamorous_."

"Thanks." She repeated, straightening out her white, frilled socks and placing them neatly on her bed.

"We think so too." Flora proclaimed, titling her head towards her twin. Astoria grimaced.

"Hah!" Lacey sneered loudly with disbelief, making it her third exclamation of the night.

"You've got everything you need in life and you're only _eleven_. How is that possible?" Rose asked in a manner that Astoria wasn't so sure if it was rhetorical or a genuine question in need of answers. She decided not to reply, if she did it would only be too bad mouth her mother and first impressions were everything. She didn't want a reputation of being a mother basher. She could save that for later. Sending Rose a smile she hoped that didn't display her growing annoyance, she got to her feet, unzipping the side of her skirt. "Can I see it?" Astoria raised her brows and Rose adapted. "The engagement ring, of course." This piqued everyone in the room's interest. Astoria hated it. "It looked beautiful in the pictures, but I know that they never do things quite the justice they deserve."

"Um, sure, just give me a minute to –" Astoria's request was cut short as Rose crossed the room in five large strides, grasping at her left hand, inspecting the diamond on her left finger.

" _Whoa_." She breathed. Her other four roommates (even silently shy Bethan) were gathered around Astoria, who was standing in her a school blouse and her knickers, having her hand grasped and prodded. "Mummy said it was pretty, but she never told me _how_ pretty." Rose whispered. "She was right about you, too." Rose added with a leering whisper. Astoria didn't know what to make of it. "You _are_ shockingly gorgeous." Astoria stopped herself from thanking her roommate again – twice was enough.

"Can I resume changing, now?" She asked instead, eyebrows perched high in challenge. The girls scrambled away and Astoria smirked to herself, victorious that she had already managed to establish herself as leader, and because she was feeling particularly giddy at her new found status, she even imagined herself being leader to a larger group of girls – as Superintendent.

/ / /

"I know it's too early to be thinking of this, certainly because end of term is so far away, but me and Hestia were thinking last night before bed about a little proposition." Flora was babbling and it was putting Astoria off her toast and marmalade. She listened, though, because Rose had whispered to her that morning that the two twins had shared bed and she wasn't so sure if it was legal.

"Get to the point, Carrow." Astoria snapped irritably.

"Right." Flora breathed. "Um, me and Hestia –"

" _Hestia and I_ , Carrow, didn't you attend finishing classes?" Flora burned red and Astoria smirked, knowing fully well that the Carrow family weren't held high enough in society to even fumble with the thought of getting into a proper class that taught the right etiquette and valuable skills needed to be a pureblooded women.

"Hestia and I," Flora amended with a slight blush "were wondering if you would like to possibly, maybe, if you want to, have a sleepover at our home." Astoria wanted to laugh, so she did. Loud, punctuated and it turned Flora a bright shade of red.

"Bloody hell, what even made you think I would even _fathom_ the idea of slumming it with the Carrow's?" Astoria sneered. "I'm a _Greengrass_ , and unlike your family name, Carrow, my name means something. I _am_ something. You're nothing. You're merely but a follower, you will never amount to something more." Astoria revelled in the look of pure fury that crossed one of the twin's face, a fury that she couldn't act upon. "Now sod off before I can't keep down my toast much longer." With a heavy sigh, Flora fled. From across the table, Lacey grinned appreciatively and Astoria smiled back.

"They're only being chummy with you because of your status, you know." Lacey said knowingly. Astoria felt a strange sort of privilege at being the first person Lacey had said a single sentence to.

"Oh, I know. Safiya – that's my stepmother – says that the Carrow's have been trying to get into the EPW for _years_. They were just lucky enough to land in the same house and year with their next Superintendent." Lacey gave a small snort and nodded her head. "Are you EPW?"

"I am." She confirmed with a tight nod. "Although, my mother told me to only speak to you when spoken to. She fears she may have offended you when you met briefly over summer. Priscilla Bourne? Quite possibly had offended your mother right in front of you?"

"I recall." Astoria said with a smile of her own. "Need not worry, though. I wasn't offended. I'm not particularly… _fond_ , shall we say, of my mother. She's not the best at keeping to her word and that it something I cannot stand in people."

"But you have your stepmother." Lacey shrugged. "And your sister. And a stepbrother. I don't think you need to make time for people who cannot make time for you." Astoria did not know how to respond to Lacey's words of wisdom, but took them to heart, anyway. Luckily enough for her, owls swooped overhead, dropping mail everywhere, successfully distracting the two girls.

Three owls intertwined as they swept towards Astoria and her possible new friend, flying beautifully with each other. A sleek, all white owl dropped a single letter in front of Astoria, a black and white one closely behind it, dropping an envelope onto Astoria's plate and sitting by her goblet. She recognised it immediately as Safiya's owl Elrick. Smiling softly, the stroked her fingers delicately over its feathers. The third owl, yet another sleek white one, dropped a letter with Lacey before the two identical birds flew off again. "Do you think they're related?" Astoria asked, picking up the letter dropped by the unfamiliar bird.

"The writing looks the same, see here." Lacey presented her own letter with her own name scrawled in pretty cursive. "Could be from the Carrow's." Lacey muttered with a wicked grin. "Twin daughters, twin owls, twin letters… Poetic." Astoria snorted, picking up a butter knife, slicing the letter open. Lacey lingered, watching Astoria curiously as if to beware of any explosive items that maybe pop out of it.

 _Miss Astoria Vasilisa Greengrass,_

 _I am delighted to inform you on behalf of the Elite Pureblood Women Poster Segment of your permanent position within our community. May you take this news with extreme pride, gratification and dignity._

 _A member of our Junior segment will be in touch with information of your first and next meeting shortly._

 _With the highest regards,_

 _Narcissa Calliope Malfoy.  
Poster Superintendent of 10 years._

 _P.S, congratulations on making Slytherin, I knew you had nothing to fear xo_

Astoria grinned ear to ear, gripping the letter a little tighter. "Pride, gratification and dignity, Astoria." Lacey chided lightly with her own, equally as cheesy grin.

"I'm so happy." Astoria breathed, setting down her letter and cover her mouth with her hands. Looking down the table to Pansy Parkinson, who was eying her with a great deal of interest, Astoria beckoned her sister frantically.

"You got in?" Daphne asked immediately upon arrival. She nodded enthusiastically. "As if we could expect anything less of our next Superintendent." Daphne admonished, but the grin on her face told she was joking. Daphne snatched the letter from Astoria's hands, eyes skimming over each letter hungrily. "A private note!" Daphne squalled. "Ria, Narcissa wrote you a _private_ note!" Astoria blushed at the attraction her sister was diverting towards them.

"Daph, keep it _down_." She hissed, grabbing the letter back from her older sister.

"It's got _kisses_!"

"I am well aware of that matter, Daphne Greengrass, I, too, have eyes and the ability to read."

" _Astoria_ ," Daphne breathed with utter adoration "how much did you butter the Malfoy's up?"

"I applied no such thing as butter to the Malfoy family, thank you very much." Astoria huffed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest.

"So you were just your usual, _charismatic_ self, then?" Daphne asked with disbelief.

" _Yes_." Astoria scoffed, feeling rather betrayed that her own flesh and blood thought her true self not worthy of Narcissa Malfoy's affections. "Perhaps she felt it to be pleasant formalities."

"No, no, no, _no,_ Astoria. _The_ Superintendent of the Posters need not go through such mundane and trivial tasks such as _pleasant formalities_. Nobody would care if she only just managed to scrape past what is expected. What was expected, dear sister, was for her to write the upper part. _Everything_ under those two little letters was thought up of her own accord." Daphne sat, winding an arm around Astoria's shoulders. "Narcissa Malfoy has _genuine_ affections towards you." Daphne sighed girlishly as if talking of a boy she fancied.

" _Why_ are we talking of my mother and her affections?" Draco appeared at the other side of the table, eyebrows raised in confusion and not insult – perhaps he had finally understood that Astoria would never murmur a bad word of Narcissa, given her high status. Lacey blushed scarlet as he sat by her, his two cronies sitting at his other side. He leaned forwards, pinching the half eaten slice of cold toast from Astoria's plate. She did not care – she was far too happy to do so. Daphne went silent, leaving Astoria to do the explaining.

"I got my EPW letter of acceptance." She explained. "It just has a personalised note at the bottom, Daph's having kittens about it."

"Pass it around, Azzy, let us bunch of miniscule creatures witness your great bearings."

With a heavy eye roll, Astoria passed the letter to Draco, who took it without an utter of thanks. He read over it quickly, brows pulling together as he skimmed over the last of it. " _This_ is what's got your knickers in a twist, Elder Greengrass?"

"Her name is _Daphne_ , Draco, do well to remember that." Astoria muttered with irritably.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved a dismissive, uncaring hand through the air. He looked to Lacey with expectance. "Did _you_ get a letter?" Instead of answering, she handed the letter over quickly as to avoid any further conversation with the blonde haired prick. He read her letter even quicker, already familiar with its words. "My, my, Azzy, look at _you_." Draco whistled, looking up from Lacey's letter mockingly. "You're already wrapped so tight in my mother's affections. Perhaps by the end of the year, we'll be battling it out for top spot." Astoria rolled her eyes, knowing this to be wholly untrue. Narcissa Malfoy held so much adoration and love for her son that Astoria didn't even know it possible to love someone that much. Possibly, Astoria mused silently, she made up for all of the affection and love that Lucius was missing.

"Call me Azzy again, _Draco_ , and I'll hex you –"

"- STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT HAD GONE!"

Astoria, along with the rest of the Great Hall, turned to look at the crimson boy at the Gryffindor table and all of her rage at the unbearable nickname evaporated at the scene before her. She had to clasp a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughs. Perhaps, she thought with absolute delight as the Howler began shouting again, Hogwarts wouldn't be all too bad.


	5. Chapter 5

_Next week on Thursday evening, seven on the dot._ The sixth year Slytherin with the pretty black curls had said from behind a book, not lifting her eyes to give the group of Slytherin first year girls a single look. _Six of you as there are together_ she had said slowly, eyes lifting momentarily to glance at the two uninvited twins _located E of the map_ her eyes had went back to her book _Birds don't need arms_.

"Slytherin's _never_ should make riddles." Rose muttered on the day of their first official EPW meeting as they all sat for dinner. She twisted her fork in her bowl, twirling the spaghetti around the prongs absentmindedly. "It just doesn't make any _sense_."

"It does." Astoria sighed impatiently, like she had been doing for the past week. Apparently not even being next in line for _the_ Superintendent of the EPW's was enough to make her fellow roommates to see sense. "' _Six of you as there are together_ ' Six. _'Located E of the map'_ A map has a compass, E is East. _'Birds don't need arms_ ' they don't need arms because they have wings. It's the East Wing on the sixth floor!"

"But there _aren't_ six of us." Rose objected like she had every time Astoria suggested the thought, which had been at least twice each day. She gasped dramatically and Astoria rolled her eyes. "Maybe it's a sum!" She suggested with glee. Lacey and Bethan – who had also been given the gift of becoming a Junior – looked to Rose with genuine interest.

"How are you three going to get through exams if you can't solve this mundane riddle?" Astoria asked with frustration. "It's simple! It was created by a _Slytherin_ , for Merlin's sake, it's bound to be simple!"

"I would accept your answer if there were six of us attending the meeting, Astoria, I really would. It's really logical and smart, your thinking, but there are only four of us." Rose said, her tone condescending, almost like it were slathered with it. "I think, perhaps, you are wrong."

"You could always ask your sister." Bethan suggested almost timidly, a shy smile flitting across her face. She had come out of her metaphorical shell three days into the school term, but she was still incredibly timid and never spoke if she didn't see it fit.

"I've _tried_." Astoria huffed, resting her head on her fist. "She just goes all jittery and starts spouting rubbish. It takes her five minutes before she gives up and says that she's been sworn to secrecy and she can't betray the other Junior's like that." Astoria rolled her eyes. "You'd really think that she'd be wanting to get into her soon-to-be Superintendent's good books, but I don't think she cares."

"Four add six is ten, could there be –"

"There are only seven floors to this castle, Rose, and if you suggest secret floors I _will_ have to pinch you." Rose went a deep red and occupied herself with her goblet of juice. Astoria rolled her eyes once more. "Merlin, help you." Astoria mumbled. She straightened and clasped her hands together. " _Well_ , you three bumbling bumbles can go to wherever your warped minds take you – _I_ , however, am going to the East Wing on the sixth floor." She stepped out of her seat and smiled sardonically at the three remaining girls. "Oh, how I shall _revel_ in being correct. I do enjoy chocolate, just so you guys know, in case you want to get me an apology present for thinking that I was incorrect." Flashing them a toothy smile, Astoria started to walk off. "I'll tell them your reasoning's for being late!" She called over her shoulder gleefully.

"Draco!" She called, catching a flop of slicked back blonde hair and two muscle goons stamping around the entrance hall. The trio stopped in their tracks but none turned.

"What do you want, Astoria?" Draco drawled with a hint of irritability, not inching a muscle to her direction to even acknowledge her. Astoria decided to ignore it.

"The East Wing on the sixth floor _is_ a place, isn't it?" She asked, side stepping around the gruff baboons to stand in her fiancés line of vision.

Draco tilted his nose in the air. "Why do you ask?"

"I've been given a riddle and I need to solve it by… last week, preferably." She folded her arms across her chest. "But I suppose now will do."

"So you've come to me with the _answer_?"

"Let us just say that people have been giving me doubts." Astoria gave a careless shrug, but on the inside she was cursing the existence of her other roommates. She had been so _sure_. "So, sixth floor east wing, is it real?"

"Unless they removed it over dinner, then yes, it is a place."

She breathed a sigh of relief, smiling quickly before turning in lead of running off to her destination. Before she did, she turned her head, raising both brows at the almost sickly pale boy. "Your mother would never send a letter of confirmation to the Carrow twins about EPW, would she?" Draco's scoff was enough confirmation.

The sixth floor East Wing was located on the sixth floor, made obvious by the name, behind a large wooden door. She placed her hand on the door handle, taking a calming breath before twisting it open. The room was spectacular, it reeked of historic value with its white stone fireplace that burned, grand portraits of influential wizards and witches from years all over history were hung, and numerous suits of glistening silver armour were placed in various corners of the room. A group of silent girls of all ages sat one the array of couches, chairs and cushions placed on the floor in a circle formation, all heads turned to the door. "Astoria." The girl that spoke sat on the highest perched chair and Astoria immediately noted her as the Superintendent. She – the girl – had auburn hair that sat in loose curls down to just below her breasts, her fringe was pinned to the side with a floral clip, her eyes were a glassy blue and her voice was sing-song like, incredibly endearing. "Where are the other girls?" A pretty smile crossed the girls' lips.

Astoria's eyes caught onto her sisters who sat on a two seated sofa, squashed onto one cushion with Millicent and Pansy at either side. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as she noticed the slight space between Daphne and Pansy, she secretly wished it to be for her. "They didn't think I was correct in my answer to your little riddle. I distinctly recall there being talk of a secret tenth floor. They may be a while." Astoria manoeuvred around the seats and people to claim the gap between Daphne and Pansy. It wasn't until she sat and adjusted her robes that she noticed the disapproving frown from the girl. "Is there something wrong?"

"I have taken it upon myself to try and reinforce the image of the Junior segment of EPW." The girl spoke with an air of importance and extreme smugness. "We are often over looked, so I think our image should consist of the strong bond of sisterhood. Nobody gets left behind, we stick together, count on each other, always have each other's backs, etcetera, etcetera." Astoria refrained the urge to scoff loudly and roll her eyes. Instead, she settled on claiming her objection.

"It won't work." She shrugged. "But I suppose it's nice that you're trying to make something of your reining." The girl raised her brows and everyone else watched on with baited breath, eagerly awaiting the next move.

"Won't work?" The girl repeated slowly. "What do you mean by this?"

Astoria sucked in a large breath, ready to delve into her logic and prove the over-privileged girl that she couldn't disrupt or change the face of a centuries old cult of sorts, that any 'progress' she would pride herself on after she had stepped up a level would be distinguished as soon as someone else took over her reigning. She didn't get to say all that and more as Daphne placed a hand on her sister's knee, giving it a chastising squeeze. Instead, Astoria shrugged. "Just won't." She muttered, looking to the ground in hopes of diverting the girls attention.

"Alright." The girl muttered and it angered Astoria that she didn't sneer like she would have. "Caroline, Adrianna, dears, will you two attempt to scout out the other new first years? It seems like maybe our Ravenclaw's have gotten lost, too." Two girls, both looked no older than thirteen, perhaps, got to their feet, nodding eagerly, practically tripping over one another in bid to get to the door. "Amuse me, Astoria," the girl said lightly, eyes twinkling in a way that Astoria thought it innocently morbid "how did you end up led astray from your friends?" She instantly wanted to say that they weren't her friends, that she only associated with them because being alone would be embarrassing and regrettable, that she had an unexplained desire to become the Alpha female of her dorm – she held her tongue.

"They thought I was wrong, I thought I was right and I wasn't about to belittle myself into following something I know to be false."

The girl stayed quiet, just gave a short nod of her head. She scanned the group before her, something resembling pride filling her features. "Did you give them the same question, Ivanna? To both Houses?"

Astoria looked to the girl in question, recognising her as the Slytherin who had gave the riddle. She looked like she had done that day, only her hair was now straight but her fringe fell over her forehead in an orderly fashion. Astoria could see that her eyes were dark brown. "I'm no idiot, Jazmine. I kept the riddle the same for both parties. I just find it a pity that only one was smart enough to figure it out." The Ivanna girl had named the Superintendent as 'Jazmine'. Astoria thought it suited her rather well. The girl – Ivanna – smirked cruelly and shrugged, lounging back against the cushions of her armchair and picking at her nails with a bored expression. "Not even your little Ravenclaw's figured it out." Ivanna's eyes met Astoria's. "Well done, kid." Astoria preened.

"Ivanna." Jazmine said, voice as sharp as knives. "Here in EPW, the Houses of Hogwarts do not matter."

"Pish." Ivanna objected loudly with a sneer and Astoria grinned. "From the second you're Sorted, you're branded. Your House stays with you for life whether you want it to or not, Jazzy." Ivanna lilted, smiling at her leader.

"Perhaps I should have handled the task of the question." Jazmine said softly and Astoria could tell by the way Ivanna's face twisted that she had hit a sore spot. "Perhaps I would have handled it better." Ivanna squeezed her fists together and her face went bright red, even under the orange tinge of illumination coming from the fire. Astoria pitied her for the slightest of seconds, pitying the fact that she had no Daphne by her side to tame her, reduce her bubbling anger – it appeared she only had herself. Astoria leaned into her older sister, feeling a surge of affection and gratification.

/ / /

"I used to think he was brilliant." Astoria huffed, picking up her Defence Against the Dark Arts 'textbooks' – they weren't textbooks at all, in fact just all of Gilderoy Lockhart's work. She shoved it into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and making her way to the dormitory door. The girls followed her – minus the Carrow's who had left a while ago – looking at her with utter disbelief.

"He _is_." Rose sighed dreamily.

Astoria scoffed, descending the stairs, nodding her head in acknowledgment at Draco, who did the same back. "Lockhart's an absolute _twat_. He can barely string two defensive spells together – never mind fight off a troll or whatever it is he claims to have done."

"Dumbledore wouldn't have –"

" _Dumbledore_ is a haggidy old man, Rose. He's like, what? Fifteen hundred years old?" Astoria let out a short, cruel laugh. "I'll be surprised if he can tell the difference between the front and back of a broom."

"I'd say he's just over one hundred." Rose chimed. They exited the Slytherin Common Room in a group of four, all bunched together. "There's no _way_ the board would allow someone of the age of fifteen hundred to be head master." She twisted a blonde lock of hair around her finger, pursing her lips. "Anyway, back to Lockhart. _You_ thought he was brilliant last month. Blushing whenever he called you out in class."

"I was younger then." Astoria sniffed, holding her head in the air. Rose gave a snort of disbelief. "What? I _was_. Given not much younger than I am now, but still younger." She flicked her hair over her shoulder with the jerk of her head. "That was before he gave us a quiz based on him. _What's Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite drink? What's his favourite colour? Does he still kiss his mummy goodnight when she tucks him in?_ It's absolute _rubbish_."

"Do you want to know what _I_ think?" Rose asked with a victorious smile. Lacey and Bethan stayed silent, as per usual.

"Not particularly, but I know you're going to give me your opinion anyway."

" _I_ think –"

"See?"

"- that you only dislike him now because he commented on how you would have been perfect for Ravenclaw and had you not been wearing a green tie with the Slytherin crest on your robes he would have thought you were."

Astoria fumed silently. Rose had hit the nail right on the head, she _did_ only dislike Lockhart because he had commented on her House placement. She had taken a disgustingly keen interest on wanting to prove herself to be a Slytherin through and through, that there really should have been no other House option for her to go to. She would venomously deny the fact that the Hat had pondered for a few seconds on whether Ravenclaw may have been the place for her, she would go out of her way – in front of Draco, especially – to be especially cunning and often spoke of her ambitions for her academic life. Nobody could deny that she had a great scale of self-preservation about her, so that she didn't need to play up. Her sense of fraternity was a little skewed, but she reckoned that if she kept her dormmates – minus the Carrow's – at close call and beckon she could swim on through her life as a well-placed Slytherin. It was proving to be difficult and people were starting to notice.

Well, people as in Draco Malfoy, who had seemingly decided to make it his mission to keep a watchful eye over her when he could – she knew for a fact that he should have been in Herbology when she descended the dormitory stairs, or at least making his way there anyway. She couldn't say anything about his annoying tendencies, the last thing she needed was for him to voice his suspicions. " _You were up there for a while, Greengrass_." Malfoy had muttered to her in the nearly deserted Common Room the night of Astoria's first EPW meeting. She had been ecstatic, truly happy and the words he spoke had managed to send chills down her spine and her body to run cold. " _That Hat was talking of Daphne for a bit before he sorted me. Waxing poetic about my lovely sister._ " Astoria had rushed to say, too quickly in fact. So quickly that she had not given herself a moment to think of the other possibilities of his question. She realised this immediately when he peered at her curiously, leaning forward with interest. " _I was talking of your EPW meeting, Astoria."_ He said lowly and Astoria could feel her blood freeze and her heart pump erratically in her chest. She had avoided his gaze, looking down at her hands that she twisted together almost nervously. " _You thought I was speaking of your Sorting and the hat?_ " He continued when realising that he was getting no comeback from her. " _Why would you be so quick to defend your Sorting?_ " It was presented as a question but Astoria was smart enough to know he was mocking her, goading her. " _One can only wonder why_." Astoria looked at him when he moved. He had tipped his head to the side and a sinister smile was dancing across his face. He stood, walking slowly to her until there was no more room to move. He crouched, bent knees touching her legs as he forced himself into her personal space. He was so close that she could feel his steady breathing slowly caress her face and she could see the silver of his eyes clearer than before. They had speckles of dark blue in them. Astoria would think them rather lovely had her heart not been in her throat. " _Night, Azzy._ " Draco had leaned forward so their foreheads were touching and Astoria had no other option but to stare at him. He lingered, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips before he stood briskly, sauntering to the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory. It was then, when Draco had disappeared completely, that Astoria allowed herself to shudder, shaken deeply to the core.

In present time, walking at the stairs the lead to the ground floor, Astoria shuddered again. "I have the right to be offended." She defended herself hotly. "He accused me of being a _Ravenclaw_. For that, I have branded him a pompous prick." Pumpkins with carved faces – Jack-O-lanterns they were called, she had overheard so from a halfblood Gryffindor in Herbology before lunch that day – floated about and the ghosts were all in their element, especially Peeves, damnable Peeves, who was hiding behind walls and in them, jumping out at students as they walked. He allowed Astoria's group of Slytherin first year girls to pass as she knew of his only downfall – the Bloody Baron. She had made it a mission to get on the Baron's good side so he would do her bidding when regarding the mischievous ghost. "We have our flying lessons later on, don't we?" Astoria asked in hope of changing the topic of conversation with grace and subtlety.

"Oh, yes." Lacey spoke up for the first time in several minutes. She had taken a strange liking to the lessons and spent most of her free time talking to the Slytherin Quidditch team – which included Draco – and asking them of flying tips and Quidditch stories. They had laughed at her at first, all coaxed into snickers by team captain Marcus Flint, but by three days and noticing her keen, undying interest no matter how many times they shot her down, they reluctantly took to her and indulged in her questions. Flint even made a point of making it a Team exercise, getting them each to wax off their plays to the innocent little firstie as a method of memorisation. "Bletchley – Miles, that is – was giving me some tips on how to steer with more efficiency. He was telling me how to properly mount the broom and –" Rose sent Lacey into a blushing frenzy when she cackled with absolute glee.

" _Lace_ , that sounds so dirty!" Rose squealed. She reached back, slinging an arm around Lacey's shoulder's, tugging her forwards. " _Miles_ was teaching you all this, was he?" She teased with a predatory grin.

"I don't know what you're goading at, Rose." Astoria sniped. "So far, you've gotten no male attention from the male population at Hogwarts. Lacey, here, has the entire Slytherin Quidditch team speaking to her – not necessarily with romantic involvement, but she's still had more male associations than you have." Rose burned bright red.

"But – I – Neither have you!" She crowed childishly.

" _I_ don't need male attention." Astoria proclaimed boldly. "As this ring on my finger so boldly states (Astoria waggled her left hand in front of Rose's face) I am to be betrothed on April thirteenth of nineteen ninety-nine. I am a woman that has been spoken for, I don't need attention from the male species."

"But you're going to get it." Rose whined pathetically, grasping at Astoria's still moving fingers and intertwining them together. Astoria eyes their hands oddly; she had never held hands with anyone she didn't consider family. She didn't know what to make of it. Rose rattled on about Astoria's unfair good genes while Astoria tried to recall if she had ever seen Daphne holding Pansy's hand, unsure if it was something that friends were supposed to do with each other. She silently cursed the inconvenient timing of her father's death, something she had been doing a lot upon realising that she knew nothing at all of what it was like to be and have a friend. Taking Daphne as an example was rotten, she never wanted Astoria there with her friends, she never really wanted her to come to light until it was absolutely necessary (Astoria's first year) so she never really got a glimpse into the life of friendship, only in passing and in books – and the latter more often than not ended in tragedy. She debated friendship etiquette internally until she no longer felt the warmth that Rose's hand brought to her own when they had reached the classroom door. Astoria shook her head lightly, composing herself before following her little band of girls to their row of seats, taking her self-claimed at the end of the row.

/ / /

" _The Halloween feast is my favourite_." Draco had said to Astoria on the night before September first. " _There's dozens of sweets and there's no adults to tell you how much you can eat. Teachers don't care, don't look at me like that and don't bother objecting. I'll hex your mouth closed if you dare._ " Draco had been right about the vast amount of sweets and the uncaring teachers. Bowls of sugary varieties covered each House table and wrappers were littered around messily. It was every child's dream. One that Daphne Iole Greengrass, Astoria's lovely, wretched sister, was ruining that dream. "Don't eat too much sweets, Ria." Daphne cautioned as soon as the very limited main course had disappeared and in place too mountains of sugar quills, chocolate, lollipops and the like. Astoria's heaven was crumbled.

"But _Daphne_ –"

"You'll get a stomach ache." Daphne objected prissily, unwrapping a lolly and sticking it in her mouth. "And then you'll try and sleep in _my_ bed. I don't want you in my bed."

"Some sister you are." Astoria scoffed, breaking up her bar of chocolate into tiny squares. "If I get a tummy ache I'll just go down to Madam Pomfrey, she'll fix me up."

Daphne narrowed her eyes and hummed lowly. "It's still a no. Maybe next year." Astoria scowled.

"Astoria." Rose whispered, grabbing a handful of sweets from the bowl that separated them with a wicked grin. She eyed her oddly and when Daphne's attention was captured by Pansy who shrieked about something boring and not both screeching over, Rose stuffed the sweets in her robe pockets with an exaggerated wink. "For you, later." Rose grinned. Astoria grinned back.

"Astoria Greengrass." A lazy drawl broke through her and Rose's fun. The colour drained from her friend's face and she looked like a child being caught doing something really naughty.

"Draco Malfoy." Astoria replied in the same tone, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. "What is it you need?"

"Oh, nothing at all." He said casually, staring Crabbe out of his seat by Rose. He shuffled closer, looking pointedly at the bulging pocket on her robes. "I'm just wondering what your sister dearest would do if she found you going against her orders." Astoria glared and Rose went ruby red.

"She won't do anything, _darling_." Astoria leered, leaning forwards. "Because she isn't going to find out. And if she does, let us just say that when the time comes for heirs you're going to have to either pray _really_ hard that you can find someone to seduce me into bed with them or you're going to have to pay someone to impregnate me because I'll hex you so hard you won't have a hope in hell of reproducing." Astoria smiled innocently and Draco squinted, as if he was trying to peer into her mind to see if her threat was wholesome and honest. "The immediate results will end with you having a needle injected into your bladder just so you can pee." He leaned back, turning away and diverting his attention to his group of friends.

" _Merlin_!" Rose mouthed with shock. Astoria simple grinned. "Do you – do you know who you just threatened?" She asked quietly.

"Indeed I do, his identity was not lost on me." She picked up a square of chocolate and turned it around between her forefinger and thumb. "I just threatened my future husband, I may as well start installing the fear of Morgana into him now, let it fester so by the time we are wed he is wrapped around my little finger." Rose only blinked in shock. Astoria munched on her chocolate happily.

/ / /

"I wish I had a big sister who looks out for me." Rose muttered, grasping onto Astoria's arm as the first year Slytherin girls – minus the Carrow's, naturally – walked out from the Great Hall. Astoria could hear Pansy's exaggerated laugh at something her betrothed had said. She knew straight away that it wasn't nearly as funny as Pansy was leading on. "I wouldn't have eaten so many sweets if I had a sibling who cares." Rose let out a groan of discomfort, attempting to loosen her skit with her index finger, pulling at the elastic.

"Bethan and I don't have older siblings." Lacey piped up. She had become more outgoing since her talk with Astoria the previous week over breakfast when they received their EPW acceptance letters, it possibly brought her a sense of comfort knowing that Astoria wasn't holding a grudge against her loud mouthed mother. As it turned out, she enjoyed poking fun at any person (Astoria seemed to be exempt) and not just the Carrow twins. "We managed to restrict ourselves. _I_ don't have a tummy ache, do you, Bethan?" Bethan shook her head silently. "All you need is some self –"

"Hush, Bourne." Rose snapped meekly. It was pathetic, really. "Astoria, I think I'm _dying_." Astoria scoffed.

"If you were dying you'd know about it." Astoria said hotly, a quarter of a dozen men flashing through her mind who she had watched die. She smiled at the ground. "Dying feels a lot less like being so full from sweets and more – why have you lot stopped walking?" She asked upon noticing she was no longer in formation of four, but one. The three girls paid no attention to Astoria (who refused to let it annoy her) and instead were paying great attention to the castle wall. Curiosity peaked, Astoria followed their gaze, eyes bulging almost immediately.

Suspended from a torch bracket was a cat. It was unmoving, unblinking and Astoria feared it may just be dead. Astoria froze, unable to stop staring at the frozen cat.

"Enemies of the Heir beware!" Draco leered. Astoria didn't even realise that he had stood by her. "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

"Draco, what's –"

"What's going on here? What's going on?" The caretaker bustled his way through the crowd. Astoria followed him with her eyes, body running cold when she noticed the dripping red liquid that clung to the walls, telling a chilling tale.

 _THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE._

The caretaker fell back. "What's the chamber of secrets?" Astoria whispered, tugging on the sleeve of Draco's robes, feeling incredibly small and a dozen times as childish.

"We'll all be safe." Draco muttered back with a hint of arrogance in his tone. She didn't like the way he avoided her question. "It's the Heir of Slytherin. " A smug sort of smile flitted over his face and the caretaker began to bawl, shout and screech at Perfect Potter. "If the Chamber has been opened, he'll be after Mudbloods." Absurdly, this soothed over some of her worries. "Those of pure blood will remain unscathed."

" _Argus_!" Draco managed to push Astoria back with her trio of friends as Dumbledore walked through the pathway created by the scared and confused student. Rose's hand found her own and in a blur of what Astoria could only assume insanity, she squeezed, hoping to bring some kind of comfort. Numerous teachers of all subjects followed the Headmaster. "What's going on?" Rose asked quietly. Astoria squeezed her hand again, taking a step further into the crowd of people as the teachers left, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in tow, Lockhart holding the dead cat in his hands. Astoria stole another glance at the writing on the wall again, ignoring Madam Hooch's frantic begs of the students. She frowned, becoming purposefully oblivious to Rose's pleads if they could return to their dorm. If what Draco said was true, and she believed it, it all made sense, then why didn't she feel any less sickened?

/ / /

"Astor- _riaaaaaaa_!"

Astoria hadn't spoken to Ivanna at all after the last EPW meeting, she had no reason to, Astoria being a first year and Ivanna in her sixth. They were worlds apart, so why was she speaking to her now, in a no less than drunken state? "You," the sixth year whispered, sitting in the vacant space to her right, far too close for comfort, breath smelling like some brand of alcohol "have _the most_ beautiful hair. Have I ever told you that? I don't think I've told you that." Astoria smiled tersely. "Can you keep a secret, Astoria Greengrass?" Her tone was filthy and her head lulled onto Astoria's shoulder. Ivanna moved closer up the sofa.

"I've been told so, yes." Astoria answered hesitantly.

" _Good_." Ivanna said heavily, getting to the floor in a swift motion and sitting up on her knees. Her eyes seemed to bore into her soul. "Because if I don't tell anyone, I think I'll go insane." Astoria bit her tongue from sniping ' _to me, it seems like you already are_ '. Ivanna leaned closer and it reminded her scarily how similar yet so incredibly different this situation was to when she accidentally reveal to Draco that her sorting wasn't as easy swimming as his probably had been. Ivanna looked less predatory and her eyes weren't the colour of steel flaked with blue, they were deep brown and Astoria thought that she could see a hint of vulnerability. "Will you keep my secret?" Ivanna asked so deathly quiet that had there been another soul in the common room except for the two of them, the space that person took up may have just drowned her voice out. Astoria nodded. "I promise." She said, just as quiet, not wanting to stop Ivanna's running mind with the contrast of her voice.

"She's left me." Ivanna's eyes went hard and an array of emotion flickered over her face; anger, sorrow, pity and finally, regret. Astoria didn't think it was shedding her secret to an unknown little girl that was causing her to look so full of regret, but the weight of the person her secret was about, this mystery girl. Ivanna stood and sat on the opposite side of the two seater sofa. Compared to her close proximity before, she seemed oceans away. "Jazmine's got herself a Ravenclaw boyfriend." Astoria frowned at the large jump in conversation topic. A terribly bitter laugh fell from Ivanna's mouth. Astoria wondered if perhaps she changed her mind about sharing her heavy loaded secret, she knew she would to, intoxicated or not. "His name is Daniel. He's in his Seventh year, like her. He's got black hair, brown eyes, a few inches shorter than her and I _hate him_." Ivanna's hands turned to fists in her lap. "Doesn't that sound familiar?" She pondered before roughly grabbing at a strand of her own hair. " _Black_ hair." She pointed at her eyes. " _Brown_ eyes. And I'm a few inches shorter than Jaz, I know that because she would never stop teasing me about it." She clasped her hands together and let out a withered sigh, staring into the flames of the fire. Astoria stayed silent. "She left me because she's _scared_." Astoria's eyes widened as she realised that the two topics weren't so widespread at all, they were the exact same thing. If she noticed her sudden realisation, Ivanna didn't let it show. "She didn't actually say that but I – but I _know_." Her fists were balled in her lap again. "She said she needed to focus on EPW, that she couldn't get _distracted_." Ivanna let out a mean snort. "What a coincidence that this happened ten minutes after the school was informed of the chamber's reopening."

Astoria swallowed. "Were you two, uh, together?" Ivanna jumped like she had forgotten Astoria was even there. Slowly, she nodded.

"Since my third year. Three years together and she leaves me because of the thing that brought us to each other." For a split second, Astoria thought Ivanna may cry. She surprised her by reaching forward, grabbing an ink pot from the coffee table and throwing it, harshly, against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces and Astoria's heart leapt up to her throat. "I scared you." Ivanna said softly, looking at Astoria with sad eyes. "I'm – I'm sorry, I just – " She stood up without bothering to finish her sentence, walking calmly up the girls dormitory stairs, vanishing into the darkness.

Astoria followed her minutes later, disappearing into her own dormitory. All candles were out and the sound of sleeping first year girls filled the room. What struck Astoria as odd, though, was her closed drapes around her bed. She wasn't raising in a barn and was constantly barked at by Safiya while growing up that in the morning, they should be opened to allow the fairies to air out the pillows. It wasn't until she was nine that she realised that these "fairies" she spoke of was, in fact, Trinket. Less of a fairy and more of a nuisance. "Whoever is there," Astoria spoke lowly, pointing her wand at her enclosed bed "I will kill you. Step out now to save your life."

"It's only me!" Someone squeaked. The curtains opened slightly and Daphne shoved her head through the gap. Astoria sighed and lowered her wand. "Did you have to jump straight to the death threats?"

"Did you have to give me the illusion that there was a creep in my bed?" One of the girls stirred, mumbling to themselves and Astoria winced. "What are you doing in my bed, Daphne?" She asked with a hushed whispered. Daphne stayed silent, fiddling with the fabric of the curtains almost bashfully. "Are you scared?"

"You must think I'm acting like a baby." Daphne sniffled.

"I'd never think of you as a baby, Daph." Astoria replied immediately. Daphne only sniffed in reply. "I'll go and change out of my clothes and then I'll join you, alright?"

"You're not kicking me out?"

"I'd never kick you out, silly." Astoria chastised, picking up her night gown from the top of her trunk and stepping into the bathroom. Once changed, the drapes around her bed had been opened and Daphne was sitting snuggly under the covers. Astoria sat by her, reaching out but quickly, her hands were slapped away. "Leave them open." Daphne said with so much urgency that Astoria recoiled. " _Please_." She whispered. Astoria obeyed at once, the pure vulnerability of her sister's voice brought her no hesitation in relenting to her wishes. "Do you still think I'm not a baby?" She asked, voice thick with unshed emotion. Astoria shook her head in the darkness. "My baby sister," Daphne muttered "too kind for your own good." Astoria riggled down, getting far enough so she could rest her head on Daphne's chest. Immediately, her sister's hands threated through her hair, brushing lightly with her finger nails. "Draco was talking of the chamber earlier." She said quietly. "He was talking about the horrors that it may unleash. I felt sick, Ria. Really, truly sick. And Malfoy, he just – he looked _ecstatic_ , it was nauseating."

"Draco said the chamber's monster wouldn't hurt the pureblooded people." Astoria whispered, curling her hand into the fabric of Daphne's night gown. Her sister snorted. "We're of pure blood." Astoria carried on. "We'll be completely fine. This will be a normal year for us, Daph, we don't have to worry."

"So the cat was a muggleborn, then, was it?" Daphne asked furiously. "There was no reason for that cat to be victimised. The monster is what it is called." If she didn't feel sick before, she definitely did now.

"That doesn't matter." Astoria tried to dismiss. "Perhaps it was the Heir just trying to get a grip of things… see his potential and stuff." Daphne doubted her heavily but didn't object, allowing her sister to have that flicker of hope. "And it'll be good, won't it? The wiping out of Mudbloods from school…"

"That's a vulgar word, Ria." Daphne scolded light-heartedly. "Not for the tongue of a young girl like yourself."

"Draco says it." Astoria said automatically, wincing at how pathetic she sounded.

"Draco says a lot of things, Astoria, many you should not waste time heeding." Daphne stopped stroking her fingers down Astoria's hair. "Do you understand that, Ria?" She nodded.

"Yeah," she answered quietly "I understand." She knew, too, long before Daphne had told her so. They both went silent and the only thing keeping Astoria from thinking her sister was asleep was the constant, soothing motion of Daphne's fingers brushing through her hair. She yawned, feeling her body relax and her eyes start to get heavier. Before she slept, Daphne whispered into the dark. "Are you happy, Astoria?" It took Astoria a few, long seconds to think of an answer, her tired mind not working as quickly as it would have had she been more away and alert.

"Guess so." She muttered. "I've got nothing to be discontent about with."

"Not even your arrangement with Malfoy?"

"He's nice enough." Astoria supposed. "Maybe not to you," she said after Daphne let out a defiant snort "but to me he's quite alright."

"What of his parents?" Daphne inquired. Astoria stifled another yawn.

"I like Narcissa." She answered, nuzzling her face into the comfort and warmth of her sister's chest. "She braids my hair for me every night. She's very kind. I like her."

"And Lucius?" Daphne wondered, feeling like a terrible sister. Never once before had she asked of Astoria's feelings of her arrangement and living conditions with the Malfoy's, too wrapped up with her own discontent with the matter.

"He is not not nice to me." Astoria gave a one armed shrug. "He is quiet and rather reserved – around me at least. But I feel" she fought to keep her eyes open "that he is becoming a lot more comfortable with my presence in his home. He speaks to me more, now."

"Good." Daphne sighed. "Yes, that is good." She nodded to herself, a small fraction of hope about her sister's happiness being restored.

"What of you, Daph?" Astoria asked and Daphne wasn't even sure if she would make it in the conscious world a minute longer. "Are you happy?" Daphne pursed her lips and took all the situations into account. _Yes_ , there is a monster on the loose. _Yes_ , the Chamber of Secrets has been reopened. _Yes_ , her sister is trapped in an engagement with a boy that she finds to be mean, cruel and downright rude. But Astoria could outwit Draco at any moment whether rain or shine. She seemed to be treated fairly when with the senior Malfoy's. She, herself, was engaged to a lovely boy, the polar opposite of Draco – Theo was quiet, he managed to be funny without being mean, he loved to read and all of the quiet moments between them had never been awkward. She, her sister or brother wouldn't be harmed by this monster and Heir of Slytherin – they were pureblooded after all, Malfoy had gotten that bit right. Sighing, Daphne answered. "I suppose I am, yes, I am happy." The only response she got from her sister was a content sigh of exhaustion, she had fallen asleep.

/ / /

Ivanna sat by Astoria the next morning at breakfast, glowering at her while eating a bowl of cereal topped with different kinds of berries. Astoria thought it awe-worthy how she never once spilled milk all down her clean and pressed robes. Neither Bethan nor Rose had taken note of Ivanna's strange behaviour. Lacey had, but didn't comment, probably not wanting to cause bad tension with an older member of the Juniors. Astoria, having never missed a single finishing class in her life, kept up appearances and refused to draw attention to the moody teenager to her right. Nobody else took notice to the sixth year Slytherin's odd behaviour.

"I'll catch up with you three later." Astoria responded as Rose, ever the chatty girl, asked if they were all ready to head to the library to start on their essays for History of Magic. "I'm sure, I'll meet you there, Rose, I promise." She said when Rose pressed. Rose, Bethan and Lacey left, the latter girl raising inquisitive brows at her before she went out of sight. "I haven't told a soul." Astoria said quietly, grabbing the forgotten knife from Lacey's plate and using it to cut her slice of toast in half. "And I don't plan on telling anyone."

"You're keeping it a secret?" Ivanna asked at long last.

"Of course." Astoria answered at once. "It is not my business and I do not intend to make it so."

"Good." Ivanna muttered primly. She shifted, looking uncomfortable. "Is she – Jazmine, she's with…" Ivanna trailed off, staring down at her now empty bowl. Astoria looked to the Ravenclaw table, immediately spotting auburn on black. Ivanna's suspicions had been right, Jazmine was tilting her head down ever so slightly to be able to snog a black haired boy. _Daniel_ Astoria's mind registered, recalling Ivanna's drunken description of him. "Uh, yeah, she's uh, she's with him." Ivanna scowled.

"It's been –" She looked around suspiciously before leaning closely, lowering her voice. "It's barely been a full day and she's already got a bloke." Ivanna looked furious.

"Why don't you get a boyfriend?" Astoria suggested.

"I'm not going to stoop so low." She mumbled, letting her spoon fall with a clatter. "Anyway, I don't _want_ a boyfriend…" Ivanna looked to all the Ravenclaw's, her eyes softening and postured loosening. Her unsaid ' _I want her_ ' hung over the two of them. She straightened suddenly. "You should go and meet your friends." Astoria wasn't stupid, she knew when she wasn't wanted.

"Yeah, I probably should." She mumbled, swinging her legs over the bench and getting to her feet. Before walking away, she placed her hand on Ivanna's shoulder, hoping it would come across comforting.

/ / /

"I've _told you_ Anna!" Astoria pressed her back against the cold stone wall, hoping to become invisible to the two silhouettes. All she had wanted was to pick up her Charms text book, not intrude on a conversation between the two people she least wanted to see, especially conversing _together_. "I cannot become distracted this year. I have all the weight of Superintendent on my back –"

"You never listen to me Jazzy, you're a _wonderful_ superintendent, you were born for it!"

"I have the next Superintendent of the _Poster segment_ now under my ranks,"

"- Astoria's nothing to worry about, she'll have _plenty_ of leaders during her time here, it won't only be your reputation on the line!"

"- and not to forget that she's set to marry Draco Malfoy, only Narcissa _bloody_ Malfoy's only child! And if what I heard from Greengrass is correct, Narcissa is rather smitten with Astoria already!" Astoria made a mental reminder to pinch her sister for opening her rather large mouth.

"You're worrying over nothing, love, you don't –"

"You _can't_ call me that anymore!" Astoria could see only what she could assume to be Jazmine's shadow throw its hands up in expiration. "We're not together, why can't you get this through your –"

"Because it has been under twenty-four hours, Jazmine!" Ivanna's voice sounded strained.

"I'm with Dan now." Jazmine said quietly, voice low and hoarse.

"Twenty four _fucking_ hours!" Ivanna yelped furiously. Astoria marvelled at how they had not attracted any attention from anyone else. "Is that how long it took to get over a three year relationship, Jaz? Is that how long it took you to move on from _me_?"

"Shut up." Jazmine demanded furiously "Shut up, shut up, _shut up_!"

"No! Answer my questions! Was I such an insignificant thing to you that you –"

"Leave me be! Why can't you just _leave me be_!"

"Because the truth is, Jaz, you could handle the pressure of a relationship. You just couldn't handle the pressure of a relationship with _me_. Is that it?" Jazmine went silent and Ivanna snorted. "You're unbelievable." She whispered with disgust. "You can't handle the pressure you put yourself under to act so – so – so _heterosexual_. You refused to even sit next to me at meetings in case someone found out. Do you know how _dirty_ that made me feel?" The short lived silence told Astoria that Ivanna was waiting for an answer. She never got one. "You made me feel like a damn disgrace. That I was abnormal – that _we_ were abnormal. Your refusal to make us public made me sick to my stomach but I allowed it because – because – _damn it_ , Jazmine! I allow it because I love you! And you fucking love me too, and that scares you, that –"

"I can't deal with this anymore." Jazmine interrupted heatedly.

"Wake up and smell the shit, sunshine, because you can't deny your feelings for the rest of your goddamn life, because if you do you're going to find yourself in a dead end marriage, waking up next to a bloke every morning that you simply can't _stand_ the –"

"I can't deal with _you_ anymore." Ivanna was effectively silence. Astoria pressed harder into the wall, wondering if she could slip away from their feud without being seen. "I can't just up and abandon the expectations my family have of me to follow some fantasy."

"This isn't a –"

"It is, Ivanna, this is nothing but some pathetic fantasy of children. I meant it when I said we were over, and if I regret it for the rest of my life then so be it, but at least I can regret it knowing that I served my families duties." Both girls went quiet. "I'm sorry, Anna, but this is how it must be."

"Jaz, _please_." One silhouette grabbed desperately at the others shoulders. "Please don't leave me, Jazzy, not like this. Please, we can make this work, I know –"

" _No_ , Ivanna." Jazmine cut in sternly. "I – I must go. I told Daniel I'd meet him before lunch, I've got to go. I can't be late."

"No, don't meet him, please don't meet him, stay, Jaz. Stay a little longer, we can talk this –"

" _Ivanna_." Jazmine said sternly. Astoria could hear the tears thick in Jazmine's throat, unshed unlike Ivanna's, who was now starting to sob desperately. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be." Astoria's heart lurched when one of the silhouettes began moving, feet tapping lightly on the ground. She held her breath as the silhouette gasped upon seeing her. " _Astoria_!" She shrieked with shock. Jazmine stared with wide eyes that were filled with tears. "You should be – Did you – _you should be in bed_!" Slowly, tears leaked from her eyes and she struggled to control her impending sobs. "You didn't hear _any_ of that, alright? _None_ of that happened as far as you are concerned! If you spread a single detail of what you came across I will execute you from EPW!" Astoria knew this was a blatant lie, as the next Superintendent she couldn't be dropped from EPW, in fact nobody had been dropped in many years. Jazmine walked away hotly, disappearing down the corridor and behind a set of double doors. When they slammed loudly, Astoria stood forwards just in time to watch Ivanna crumble to her knees, her head held in her hands and loud, destructing sobs rolling from her mouth. Not knowing what to say, Astoria cautiously walked towards her, sitting underneath the window that she sun shone brightly through. She sat there in silence, watching the sixth year's body rack with sobs, swear words and incoherent blubbers.

/ / /

I apologise wholeheartedly for any mistakes made in this chapter, I have looked over it but I have done so at five in the morning and I have not yet went to sleep. I would like to give a big thanks, while I am writing here, to all those who have favorited, followed and reviewed, you guys make me smile and you make me incredibly happy. I did not intend to make Ivanna and Jazmine a thing when I wrote the EPW meeting scene, but they called to me, in a way, by the way they were acting towards each other. I think their relationship will play a big part in Astoria's life and although I have not made plans just yet on what that exactly will be, I have a feeling that their destruction is something little Ria took to heart about heartbreak – something she was able to understand.


	6. Chapter 6

"You'll be attending the game tomorrow, I'm assuming?"

Astoria looked up from her book with a frown. "And why would I do that? I don't like Quidditch, as you should know."

Draco's pale brows lifted. "Indeed I _do_ know, actually." He replied hotly, a little put out by her distrust of his knowledge no matter the topic. "But, as my betrothed, you are expected to be my… _cheerleader_ , shall we call it." It was Astoria's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Don't look at me like that, it's protocol." Astoria didn't remove the look off her face. " _Fine_." Draco huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Keep that stupid face, but you still have to come tomorrow."

"I don't see why." Astoria mimicked his posture, folding her own arms over her chest. "We haven't even been engaged for a year yet, so I see no urgent need to –"

" _My darling son, Draco._ " He read from a piece of parchment. Astoria went silent and her eyes narrowed. There was no way on earth Lucius Malfoy would be caught dead having wrote a letter to his son addressing him as _darling_. That only possible option left would be – "My mother goes on to say things about me, my Seeker position and – oh. What's this? Is this your name? A-S-T-O-R –"

"Whatever your point is Draco, hurry up and make it." She snapped, shutting her book primly and setting it aside. Draco smirked.

"My mother gave the predicted weather forecast for tomorrow. _Seemingly_ , it is to be sunny, but the temperature will be low. Mother told me to tell you that you should bring a coat, just in case." Draco folded the piece of parchment rather delicately, enclosing it in the inner pocket of his robes. "You're expected to go, so why don't you just make this –"

"He isn't _bothering_ you, is he, Astoria?" Ivanna stood over head, towering above Draco and looking down at him with a menacing look. Draco looked to Astoria with a brow arched and she shook her head.

"No, he's not." She answered. "We were just going over the details of what I should wear to the game tomorrow." Ivanna studied her facial expressions closely before nodding stiffly.

"Tell me if anyone bothers you." She said sternly. "I am forever in your debt." She managed a smile. "I would like to do as much for you as you have done for me." With that, she sauntered off, leaving behind Astoria with an incredibly intrigued and perplexed Draco Malfoy.

"What did you do for her to owe you?" He asked when Ivanna was out of earshot.

"None of your business, husband, mine." She revelled in the pink tinge that particular pet name brought to Draco's ears.

"I – I think you'll find that it _is_." He replied, playing oblivious to his stutter and growing blush.

"Do not fool yourself, Draco." Astoria spoke softly with an angelic smile. "All marriages have their secrets. We're just starting young."

"Not _all_ marriages." He said, suddenly looking furious. Astoria smiled and rolled her eyes, reaching up to give his cheek a condescending pat. That only served to enrage him further, understandably, too. She pressed the urge to smirk down. "I'm pretty sure it is all marriages. Now, for tomorrow, should I create a banner? Perhaps make up some song to chant at you?"

"If you do either of those things, I will have to slaughter you. _Slowly_."

Astoria forced a frown and snapped her fingers. "I was looking forward to making a poster, too."

" _Slowly._ " He repeated, backing towards the boys dormitory stairs.

/ / /

"I don't understand _why_ we couldn't have sat with Pansy, Millie and Tracey, Ria." Daphne huffed, sound impatient and childish. Astoria turned her nose up distastefully at the sound of the halfblood's name.

"Because." Astoria replied prissily, fidgeting uncomfortably as her other Housemates bustled around her. "It's duty, isn't it? I'm sure, Daphne, if Theodore were on the team you'd be sitting front row, too." Daphne's face turned an abnormal red colour at the mention of her betrothed. Astoria eyed her curiously, but didn't comment. "Besides," she continued with a forceful sigh "I don't think I could bare to hear Pansy prattle on about my own betrothed's skin complexion or how _devilishly handsome_ he looks while flying." Daphne's eyes almost fell from her head.

"Don't you like Pansy, Astoria?" She asked, almost sound desperate. Astoria pitied her sisters need for everything in her life to be validated. It was a wickedly awful quality to have in a person.

"I like her perfectly fine." Astoria muttered, folding her arms defiantly across her chest. "I just don't much like listening to her drabble on about how my betrothed is one of the most finest male specimens she has ever set her eyes upon. I find it deeply unsettling. I feel she may resent me for taking what she only thinks she is entitled to, and she has no siblings, Daph, I can tell and single children are bound to be incredibly selfish."

"I think you're mistaken, Astoria." Daphne said with an intense frown. "Pansy knows that the two of you are set to wed – she said that it is what it is. An arrangement." Astoria squawked.

"Draco will be having mistresses over my dead body!"

Daphne sighed and Astoria fumed. "Men shall do what they desire, Ria, but I think if you build a relationship with him now, you could be well on your way to love before he even leaves school!" Daphne's pure intention made Astoria feel queasy.

" _No_."

"Then what is his reasoning to stay faithful, little sister?" Daphne implored, looking rather mocking. It didn't suit her.

Astoria smiled sweetly at the empty pitch. "Because if I ever hear wind of him so much as _touching_ another woman, I'll kill her."

"Astoria!" Daphne shrieked, utterly aghast at her younger sisters murderous thoughts.

"I never said I'd kill _him_ , did I, Daph?" She asked with the upwards tilt of her head, twisting her neck so she could study Daphne's facial reactions – which were always rather hilarious. "In the time I have gotten to know him, I've grown rather… _fond_ , shall we say. Perhaps it's a bit of a strong word for the time being, but I'll get to that stage in a bit. I just need to let it brew." The Gryffindor team were beckoned out to the pitch first. Neither of the sisters bothered to raise a hand. "I'll do the same to Theodore, too, when it comes around that he's been seeing another girl." She side-eyed her sister heavily. "At your word, Daph, I'd kill him, too."

" _Theo,_ " Daphne stressed his much preferred nickname "and I are going to try and search for love. We think it only best, especially given our situation." A faint, barely recognisable pink colour tinted Daphne's cheeks. Being her sister and forced lifelong best friend, Astoria noticed.

"Given your situation." Astoria parroted. Daphne's cheeks got noticeably more red. "And, pray tell, sister, are you and your beloved _Theo_ on the same page in this rather fascinating chapter in the book of Daphne Greengrass' Perfect, Truly Fantastic Life?"

"Actually, we _are_." Daphne sniffed hotly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Chapter twelve, page nine hundred and ten, to be precise!" Astoria's lips curled into a smile.

"It is very sad, Daph, that you told me the chapter and page of your placing without so much of a second to think."

"Yeah? Well you gave me the title." A small smile was pulling at the corners of Daphne's lips, but she was more urged to repress it. "Look!" Daphne whispered in a hurry, her mask of faux annoyance (which Astoria saw right through) slipped and was replaced with utter amazement. "It's the Slytherin team!"

/ / /

"It was very generous of you, Draco, to invite me to a game that we ultimately lost at." Astoria said coyly, slipping into the seat vacant to his right at the dinner table. His scowl grew more intense. How dare she! He fumed internally, as if I'm not getting enough of _this_ from the rest of the team! Actually, no, the rest of the House!

"Don't attend the next one, then." He sulked, pressing the heel of his palms into each eye.

"I've already made arrangements for every single weekend for the rest of my first year." She sniffled, reaching forwards and picking up the large spoon that lay in the mashed potatoes.

"You're my _betrothed_." Draco stressed venomously as Astoria slapped some slop onto her plate.

"Stellar observations." She trilled, putting the spoon away. Reaching for her fork, she stabbed at a sausage and lifted it carefully to her plate.

"You're not supposed to _belittle_ me." Another sausage was transported to her plate.

"Oh, Draco, I am not belittling you." Lifting the gravy boat, she splashed some all over her plate. "I am merely teasing." If looks could kill, Astoria Greengrass would be no more.

" _Merely teasing_." He repeated with a heavy scoff. She smiled innocently. "Why don't you scoot on down with the rest of the team?" He asked with a sneer. "You can _merely tease_ me with the rest of them! Flint's already had a right go at me, why not add Astoria Greengrass, my fiancée, to the list! It'll be like taking a register!"

She peered down to the other end of the table, where sure enough, Marcus Flint and the rest of Slytherin's Quidditch team were huddled around their supper's, talking loudly with distaste and making wild hand gestures. One of the boys mimed a bird like creature hovering over the boy next to him's head. She sighed, taking slight pity. "Perhaps," she started in vain attempt to not only console but perhaps lift his spirits so he wouldn't be such a bore to sit by "you should stop fussing about Potter." Draco looked at her like she had grown three extra heads. "Hear me out, now." She said sternly, her eyes almost daring him to argue. "You were going for that little golden ball, weren't you? I said hear me out!" She snapped harshly when he opened his mouth to correct her in a drawl. "I may not know much about this stupid little game of yours that every boy seems to be so enthralled in, but I have seen you fly. To me, you're good – and while that may not mean anything to you, even _Blaise_ had said so! And it took me seven years of him even knowing me to get a ' _you look like something a cat_ didn't _throw up this morning, Astoria_ '." She grabbed onto his shoulder and shook it a little, hoping that maybe his bad mood would fall from his ears, nose, eyes or mouth and he'd go back to doing what he did best – mocking Gryffindor's and making sly, sometimes undetectable jokes. It didn't work. " _Ugh_." She huffed, grabbing at one of his wrists and tugging so he was forced from his self-loathing and pity party for one into keeping his head up on his own.

" _Hey_!"

"Grab some supper, fool, and quit being such a _bore_."

"If you think I'm such a bore, why don't you just move, then?" He asked hotly, eyes narrowing dangerously and his grey eyes resembling cold, hard steel.

"If _you_ think I'll marry a boy who eats dinner on his own then you can think again, Draco Malfoy!" She sliced into a sausage pointedly (the point was lost on him, but he let her go at it) and shot him a snarling smile. "You'll look like a lonely loser, ma chérie, and I will _not_ marry someone like that."

/ / /

"Has anyone seen Ivanna as of late?" Jazmine asked, smoothing her hands down the front of her school robes. It was the second EPW meeting of the school year – one Ivanna had neglected to turn up to. She had told – _screamed_ , was actually more like it – Astoria that morning. She had barged into her dorm and screeched an entire short story backing up her reasons not to go. Luckily enough, the rest of Astoria's dorm had left in lead of breakfast at her telling – she still hadn't got used to the fact that her dorm-mates (the ones she liked, so not the Carrow's, thankfully) were basically nudists and didn't mind changing in front of each other after showers, when getting into night wear, school wear and basically revelling in any opportunity to get completely starkers. It seemed like shooing them off to breakfast was the only way she'd get to change in peace. Her secret was kept safe, thankfully, because she was mad enough as it was and the added pressure of everyone knowing that she was deathly attracted to girls would more than likely tear her apart.

"I have." Astoria answered shortly, raising her eyebrows when Jazmine looked at her expectantly. She'd be lying if she were to say that Ivanna hadn't influenced her opinion on the Junior Segment Superintendent. She couldn't help it, really, completely not her fault at all – the monster didn't even seem the slightest bit upset as to what she was putting the poor girl through! Ivanna was completely _heartbroken_! Jazmine hadn't even batted an eye!

"Do you know if she'll be making an appearance tonight?"

"I do." Daphne looked completely outraged by her younger sisters behaviour – had her mouth opened up a few more centimetres it would be on the ground, wide enough to fit the entire Hogwarts Express. Pansy looked slightly taken back, too, but more maliciously excited. Millicent seemed completely indifferent, staring at the ground with a passive expression – Astoria doubted that she even knew what was going on.

" _And_?"

"She won't be attending."

"Did she say _why_?"

"She disclosed her reasoning, yes." Astoria curled a straight strand of her around her finger, giving Jazmine a smile of the innocent. Nearly the entire room watched on with bated breath.

"May I ask what her reasoning is?"

"You may." Reaching forwards, she picked up her tea cup and took a sip, smiling over the rim.

" _Astoria_ – or should I say _Safiya_?" Daphne growled lowly, her fingers clenching tightly around the handle of her own cup. Astoria grinned.

"Ask away if you want to know, Jazzy." She baited, arching a single brow, her grin going sharp and shark-like when Jazmine bustled.

"Whatever." She sniffed, folding her arms across her chest indignantly. In attempt to compose herself, Jazmine clasped her hands together and smiled. "So," she said at length, making sure to make eye contact with every person in the room bar Astoria "has anyone got any news they'd like to share?"

"Is this why Draco was asking Daph what you did for Ivanna that was so great that she's owes you for eternity?" Pansy asked – more like squawked, really – leaning forwards to look past her friend.

"Pansy!" Daphne shrieked.

"Don't act like you're not curious, Daphy!" Because it was hard for Pansy to understand why someone _wouldn't_ be interested in why a sixth year was indebted to a measly firstie.

"I am, but I just know when and where the right time and place to inquire about it! This, Pansy, in the middle of an EPW meeting, is _certainly_ not one!" It was difficult for Daphne to understand how a child of such acceptable breeding was so insistent of causing a fuss in public – didn't she know that family matters were exactly that? To be with _family_?

"Quit speaking to me like I'm an inferior child, Daphne! Just because your family were wealthy enough to hire _private_ –"

"My education has nothing to do with the way I am speaking to you, Pansy! The way you are humiliating my _little sister_ , however, is another –"

"Girls, that is enough!" Jazmine looked between the two quarrelling second years and shook her head with disappointment. Daphne slunk back, having the decency to look abashed and embarrassed. Pansy, however, stayed inched forwards to get a better look at the youngest Greengrass sister. Astoria met her gaze levelly, not moving back in submission nor forwards in order to assert her dominance. Pansy stayed still, too, but more than likely for different reasons. Possibly to appear threatening.

"Is it? Is this why she owes you?" Pansy asked in a quiet tone, sounding neither friendly nor harsh. Just merely curious. It was the first time Daphne had felt ashamed for being in association with Pansy who she had admired so much up until that point. Who, exactly, did Pansy think she was?! Daphne wasn't quite sure, but she was certain that Pansy held herself far too high on the Social Scale of things. Addressing the soon-to-be daughter of _Narcissa Malfoy_. The beautifully stoic and passive Narcissa Malfoy who's face was brick like in the eye of the public, hard and growly at those she deemed lower than her (which was really most people). _The_ Narcissa Malfoy who showed affections so deep to very few, those of who don't even include her own mother, but includes _Astoria Greengrass_ , the very girl who Pansy was insistent of embarrassing, no matter how consciously she was doing it. Astoria could destroy Pansy in a single letter, and if her connection with Draco ran as deep as Daphne suspected it to be, a single _look_ and Pansy would be nothing but worthless little crumbs regardless of her family's name and wealth. Astoria probably didn't even realise how much power she held over people, how, for once in her damned life, Violeta Greengrass had done something very, _very_ good for her child. Possibly Violeta didn't even realise. But Daphne did. And so did Safiya. So did Blaise.

"In so many words, yes." Astoria answered with a small shrug. "But in just as many words, no." Pansy frowned, brows pulling together in confusion. "I do hope you understand that part of the reason that Ivanna feels indebted to me is because of my sworn secrecy." Astoria looked to Jazmine momentarily before leaning back. "That is all I am ever willing to disclose."

"I say we ask Daphne." Pansy practically growled, eyes setting upon her dorm-mate. "If there's anyone else who would know, it's bound to be _her_."

"Surprisingly not." Astoria muttered curtly. "I really have told nobody. I say you stop wasting my time and breath on going over this and just accept that I have told nobody and I intend to keep it that way until Ivanna wants word spread." She gave a measly shrug and set her eyes back upon Jazmine. "And I think she may want it out sooner or later."

"I got an A in my latest Arithmancy homework!" Conversation turned to the sixth year Ravenclaw's inspiring travel from consistent T's to an A. Jazmine stared at Astoria unblinkingly, her eyes hard and cold. All she could do was smile knowing that she'd never do anything – she couldn't, especially not if she wanted Astoria to keep her rather large secret exactly that.

"Ivanna's not harassing you, is she?" Daphne asked quietly as they departed the meeting, her sister gripping at Astoria's sleeve to make her linger back, encouraging the rest of the girls to overtake.

"Not at all, Daph." Astoria answered smoothly, shaking her arm from her sister's prying hands. "I'm just being helpful."

"Can't her _own_ friends be helpful?" Astoria wanted to point out that Ivanna had sacrificed trustworthy friends to be with a girl she truly, wholeheartedly liked, and that she didn't trust them as far as she could throw them, and in return, the girls in Ivanna's dorm treated her like an acquaintance – but she didn't, she couldn't.

"Ivanna doesn't like the girls in her dorm, and I offered to listen." Astoria shrugged carelessly. "Besides, I get practice for when I become Superintendent, don't I? You should see Narcissa, she's incredibly nice and nurturing." She decided to stay quiet on the personality of Mrs Black.

"You will tell me if she starts bothering you, won't you, Astoria?"

"Of course, Daph, you'll be the first person I tell."

/ / /

December stumbled upon the lot of them unexpectedly; the weather was relatively warm, considering it was the month of Christmas and the grounds of Hogwarts had yet to experience a single lick of snow. The only thing that reminded Astoria that Christmas was fast approaching was the decorative Christmas baubles and lit candles that floated around the Great Hall, the constant singing of carols performed by the school choir and that Professor Lockhart made it his mission at the end of every lesson to remind his students that they need not get him a present at all! It would be unfair to the other, less fortunate professors! Even Rose had taken to muttering about what an idiot he was.

Of course, there was the annoyance of receiving a Greek letter every morning at breakfast from one of her many cousins who never liked to share _anything_ when it came to their obscure, English relatives and each (all thirteen of them!) sent their individual, respective letters that were always packed full of useless information – it was all the more aggravating when one spent a good hour and a half translating it all from Greek to English only to find that it was pointless tales of their school adventures and mocking them of their lack of Dark Arts curriculum or lack of proper etiquette lessons.

 _Dearest Astoria Vasilisa Greengrass,_ why they _all_ insisted on using her full name was beyond her.

 _I do hope you are well, my sweet. How is your first year of Hogwarts going? I still stay you would have fit into Beauxbaton's much better – you are indeed a real beauty! But I do respect tradition, angel, and if attending the school which your mother and step-mother attend is your idea of tradition, then I respect it!_ It wasn't tradition, it was just mere convenience. _If you and your sister sweetest are returning home for the Christmas holidays – make a stop past us!_ As if it was on the way to the Greengrass Estate _Auntie Indira, her husband and Uncle Halcyon (and most likely a mistress of his! Maybe Cora will show her face too, if she isn't so utterly embarrassed by Uncle Hal!) and their respective children and beast is attending too, it would be such a shame if our pale babies were not in attendance!_

 _If you are unable to attend, sweetness, we understand. Travelling from England to Greece is expensive – but I'm sure grandfather would pay!_ The over usage of exclamation marks were beginning to grate on Astoria's nerves – it was far too early in the morning for that type of enthusiasm. _I do hope you have a merry run up to Christmas, I would love to write you more but I am sure you are hard at work with your studies!_

 _Wishing you all the best and sending you all my love, B.L.G (Briseis Lorelei Greengrass) xo_

Astoria folded the parchment neatly and tucked it into the breast pocket of her robes. "Was that Priya, Astoria?" Daphne asked through a mouthful of still warmed toast.

"No, I got her letter Wednesday."

"Leda?"

"Not got her one yet."

"Icarus?"

"Tuesday."

"Mnemosyne?"

"She'll probably send me a small card – she's still upset about the fact that I pushed her in the pool two summers ago." Astoria took an impassive sip of her tea.

"Probably because she couldn't swim."

"She can now though, can she? All because I pushed her." Daphne pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes – still looking rather pretty, too. Astoria shot a glance at Pansy who was snorting with mirth at something the halfblood Tracey had muttered. Pansy looked rather atrocious while doing that. ' _A face only a mother could love_ ' is what Safiya would probably say. "It was Briseis." Astoria said with a nonchalant shrug. "She invited us round hers sometime during the holidays."

"We'll have to decline, won't we? You'll be home for only a week and I don't think Saf will appreciate if we flee off to Greece during her custody of you." Daphne brushed her fringe from her face, swooping it to the side with her fingers.

"Custody." Astoria sneered, slumping her face against the palm of her hand. "You make me feel cheap, Daph." She picked at a berry from the top of her porridge and bit off the end.

"Well." Daphne sniffed, taking a quick glance at her friends who continued to giggle between them. Astoria wondered if she'd rather be conversing with them. "It's true, isn't it? I don't think Saf minded much in the summer when you're whisked off to the Malfoy's, but she'll be heartbroken when she only gets to spend a week with you over the Christmas hols." Astoria frowned at both Daphne's usage of slang and her discontent with only have a single week at the Greengrass Estate.

"Perhaps I can get mother to negotiate that I stay for three weeks during summer, it is the –"

"If you think Safiya would let her precious baby Ria out of her grasp for _three weeks_ then you are really delusional. You're lucky she let you go to school she's so – oh." A large, golden eagle dropped a golden envelope by Daphne's breakfast, pattering by the cereal boxes, looking at them expectantly. Daphne's eyes narrowed and she shook her head. "Bloody Ajax, I swear." Ripping the envelope around the black wax seal with her finger nail, Daphne huffed. "And you can bloody well stop staring at me like that, Asterius. Go on, bugger off back home, we're not feeding – _don't_ turn to Astoria, she's not going to – Astoria!" Astoria held out a slice of unbuttered toast to the eagle, watching in amazement as it swallowed it whole. "Go on, now, you stupid bird!" Daphne shooed, flicking her hands at it. "You've been fed, now sod off!" With a loud squawk that alerted the rest of the Great Hall who hadn't yet been alerted, Asterius the eagle flew off. "Bloody Ajax. Bloody Uncle Halcyon. Why did he feel the need to raise his child to be the most pompous, arrogant and spoiled git around?"

"What's with the continuous roll in of letters for the Greengrass sisters? _Surely_ people don't want to speak to you both _that_ much?"

" _Talking_ of pompous, arrogant and spoiled gits." Daphne muttered, shooting Draco an unpleasant glare.

"The letters are from our cousins." Astoria piped up, stifling a smile, hoping that Draco didn't hear Daphne's out of character comment. "They're wishing us a merry Christmas and all that."

" _All_ from your cousins?" Draco sneered, holding his chin up as if the idea of many members of family was repulsing. "I'm not going to have to learn _all_ of their names, am I?"

"It's only polite." Astoria mumbled with a frown.

/ / /

Astoria was rather confused. In fact, confused didn't cover her base enough. Astoria was _perplexed_ to the highest point. She sat upon her bed, book held out in front of her, looking over the top at her other dorm mates as they lounged about the ground, talking and giggling amongst themselves. The Carrow twins were there, too, they didn't join with the gossip but they grinned occasionally.

It was all very weird.

She sat straighter, placing her book down on her legs and opening her mouth to speak. Quickly, she shut it and shook her head softly to herself. It was weird. Astoria had never done weird and she wasn't about to start now. Astoria watched as Rose leaned back on her elbows, tipping her head far back enough so she could look at Astoria upside down. "Did Draco go to the Duelling Club?" She asked kindly, her face slowly tinting red with the rush of blood.

"I wouldn't know." Astoria murmured with a small shrug. "I never asked."

"I think he is." Lacey commented quietly, blushing ferociously when all heads snapped towards her. Rose would probably have to go visit Pomfrey for a case of whiplash, she had moved her head so quickly. "It's – Flint said he wanted all the Team to go." Lacey ducked her head and prayed to Merlin and the founders of Hogwarts that Astoria wouldn't exile her to be with the Twins for knowing more of her betrothed that her. But Astoria didn't and Lacey wasn't sure if that was more worrying. Astoria simply pursed her lips prettily and hummed softly, picking up her book and going back to pretending to read. It took several seconds before Astoria stuck a hair bobble in at her current page, closed the book and set it on her night stand and lounged casually at the end of her bed. "Did Flint disclose why he wanted the _Slytherin Team_ to go to a Duelling Club that has, and let's all be frank here, been set up in the hopes that everyone has enough defensive spells in their arsenal to fend off the Heir of Slytherin?" Lacey shook her head violently. Astoria hummed again. "There's not a single mudblood on that team, Flint's no idiot." Astoria frowned thoughtfully before a small smirk tugged at her lips. "Even if there were, Mr Malfoy would have been sure to push them off the team."

"It's stupid that the teachers were pressuring us to go." Rose commented with a sneer. "I'm a wealthy, respected pureblood girl. I have no desire to go there and learn spell to beat off the saint with a stick. In my opinion, we should be granting all the awards to the Heir for sending those vile things off Hogwarts land." Astoria hummed again, this time in agreement. It didn't sit well with her, though. It was only at breakfast that Rose was talking happily about going to the Duelling Club, excited about learning 'awesome, harmful hexes, Astoria!' from adults. She had voiced her interests quite clearing, wishing that perhaps Snape would sneak in a little bit of tame Dark Magic. But then lunch came and Astoria had announced that she wasn't going to attend, because why would she? It was rather pointless and she had plenty of other ways to spend the evening. Bethan had looked extremely relieved and had decided that she would stay back too, just to keep Astoria company. And then Lacey had decided that staying was the best option. Rose reluctantly supposed that it would be a waste of time going anyway, wouldn't it? The Carrow Twins had asked Astoria when they were leaving lunch if they would see her there. No? You're not going? Oh, Hestia and I weren't going to attend either, see you later, Astoria!

It was all very weird.

That was exactly what she told Daphne later on that night while sitting on her older sisters' bed. Daphne just laughed and called Astoria the cutest little girl in all the planet. Astoria threatened to bite her. She didn't stay peeved, however, because as soon as Daphne brushed off Astoria's worries with the flick of her perfectly manicured and cared for hand, she delved into the tails of Draco's misfortunes at the Duelling Club. Apparently, she probably should have attended as Harry perfect Potter can speak to snakes. The Boy-Who-Lived apparently sicced the snake conjured by Draco (charming as ever, apparently) on a Hufflepuff Mudblood. The sisters shared a great laugh over _that_ one, the Wizarding world's great saviour and protector Harry Potter is more than likely the Slytherin Heir. Astoria left when Pansy began whining about needing her beauty sleep and that the two girls chattering was keeping her awake. Astoria sneered at her and whispered to herself that Pansy was a bloody witch and spells weren't a new concept to her. And she also muttered something nasty about how no beauty sleep with help _her_ , but nobody heard. Or maybe they did and agreed silently.

/ / /

Daphne Iole Greengrass was in a mood. A subtle one at that, but a mood nonetheless. Not even Blaise, knower of all things _everyone_ , paid no heed to Daphne's foul state of mind. Daphne liked it that way. If she could fool Blaise, she could definitely fool Astoria which meant that fooling Pansy was going to be a piece of cake.

Daphne straightened a little, feigning interest of Pansy droned on about the magnificent colour or Draco's eyes and wondered how the _Hell_ she had ever thought that girl to be anything resembling a role model. She was cruel, nosey, rude and, most importantly, a little bit of a tart. She was, in a way, very thankful for Pansy's disgraceful display at the last EPW meeting. Anybody who threw her little sister under the bus would face the discrete yet effective wrath of Daphne Iole Greengrass.

What was that muggle saying, again? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer? Daphne liked that saying very much.

She pondered briefly over how Tracey and Millicent could actually be interested in Pansy's overly dulcet tone. That thought was evaporated quickly when a body sat across from her, looking on with raised eyebrows, hair drooping into his eyes and a rare smile curling at his lips. Daphne looked at him and smiled back – it was nice to get a proper smile out of him as opposed to his regular smirk. "How's it going, Daph?" Theo asked, propping his chin up on the heel of his palm.

Daphne pouted prettily and scolded him for his excessive usage of slang terms. Theo just laugh, he liked it very much when Daphne went out of her way to make sure he knew all the manners of a proper man. It meant she cared enough about him to not let him be dragged mercilessly by snooty socialites and frowny men. She showed him which piece of cutlery went where, which fork was the correct one, how to identify who is below you and who is above you (so many people were above him it was rather embarrassing), who to be submissive to, when to express political views and so many more.

He also liked it when she pouted. She was _very_ pretty when she pouted.

Theo watched as Daphne sliced a butter knife neatly through a single sliced of jammed toast with precision. She picked up on half and placed it down on the plate before him. Theo smiled, something that he seemed to not be able to control around a pretty little character like Daphne Greengrass. The way she mothered him had been disconcerting at first, he was supposed to _marry_ this girl, after all, not have her adopt him. But then he started noticing how, even without Daphne at his side, the older people around him stopped looking at him oddly. Well, there was the occasional glance, but it had reduced drastically. Theo had never realised how much the absence of a motherly figure for most of his life had affected him so much. But Theodore Nott Senior went off the rails, and he was mad _before_ Theo's mother died but the death of his one and true love had disturbed him so badly he didn't even _try_ to appear respectable in front of peers. This resulted in the Nott's being respected only for their wealth. Viewed as a waste of good money and breeding. Before Daphne came along, Theo couldn't remember a time when he was viewed as an equal to the other boys his age. It had hurt him quite a bit to be viewed as less than Crabbe and Goyle for sure, those two had always been blithering dolts. But then there was Daphne and she blinded everyone with her brilliantly chipper smile, knocked them out of the court with her excellent education which had been done _privately_ (something only very few wizards and witches could actually own up to), blown them away with her pristine manners and absolutely swallowed them whole with such a large chunk of status for such a small girl. And this wonderful, _delightful_ girl didn't cry or throw a tantrum when told she was engaged to a _Nott_ only because her mother thought too much of herself to back out of a promise made to a dead woman. She had grinned, excellently, too, and she shook his hand, curtseyed and said she was _very_ honoured to meet him. And after that, she was always by his side. Theo rather liked her by his side.

"Herbology was cancelled." Daphne said cheerily. "Can you believe it?" She gushed, patting around her mouth with a napkin. "The snow looks absolutely _darling_. I love Hogwarts in winter, don't you?" She paused, waiting for his answer. Theo filled with warmness and nodded wholeheartedly, taking a bite from the carefully cut slice of strawberry jammed toast. "We should take a walk sometime if it's not too cold outside." She suggested casually but her cheeks had gained a slight pink tinge that wasn't there before.

"Of course." Theo answered immediately because he'd do anything she ever asked of him, it was the _least_ he could do. Daphne grinned widely and her nose wrinkled and Theo thought his heart was going to break his ribcage.

/ / /

Nicolai Lois Avery was a little smitten with Astoria Vasilisa Greengrass. But he was a good man, or he wanted to be when he became of age, but he would settle on being a good-man-in-the-making for now. He respected that Draco Malfoy had ownership of her, the unmistakeable ring on her finger was glaringly obvious about that fact. He couldn't confine in anyone, his father was very good friends with Lucius Malfoy and would no doubt tell the man of his sons pathetic crush on his own sons fiancée. All his friends were snakes, fitting of a Slytherin, of course, and Nicolai had too big a sense of self-preservation to even contemplate telling them, anyway. He couldn't tell his sister, there was the slight chance she would feel an obligation to tell her next leader of that girly cult she was a part of or whatever it was. He couldn't tell his brother because he couldn't yet read Nicolai's cursive writing and his mother would have to read it to him. He didn't even think about telling his mother, not with her sitting firmly up Narcissa Malfoy's behind.

So, instead of telling anyone he settled for pleasant chit-chat with the girl in question. She was a very nice talker, she was very intellectual and used large words that Nicolai had to sometimes look up in a dictionary afterwards. He liked the way his name sounded on her lips because she was the only one who ever used it with every mentioning of him. His sister didn't count, she was family and knew that being called 'Nic' made him feel frilly, like a girl. Astoria called him 'Nicolai' and he liked it very much.

He wasn't so sure if he liked her because she was incredibly pretty, because she was in a position of power and was only destined to get more, because she didn't bore him, or because it was a combination of all three. The thought of him only liking her because she was unattainable flitted through his mind briefly, but he dismissed it because being smitten with a girl claimed by the Malfoy family was a certain suicide should it ever come to light and he was the Heir of the Avery name, there was no time for him to be committing a social suicide, effectively cutting off any hope of getting his own girl.

His heart soared whenever he overheard her talking with a negative tone at Malfoy, or when she teased him behind his back because she never did that to _him_. Astoria Greengrass liked Nicolai Avery and he was very certain of it. Whether it was platonic or something more ( _Merlin_ , he hoped it was something more), she smiled and waved at him in the corridors, she asked how he was doing if they so much as made eye contact from across the Common Room, she offered to help him with their History of Magic homework because her sister just loved it and when she was younger, Astoria decided to love everything Daphne loved because she wanted to be exactly like her. She merely nodded at Malfoy in the corridors, nodded and possibly offered him a smile in the Common Room depending on her mood and she never offered to help him when he made his struggles particularly vocal, claiming that it was unfair of that teacher to issue that set amount parchment for that specific essay for that specific subject.

Maybe if he got bigger balls within the time frame he had between right then and before she got married, he could sneak a kiss or two. But for now he was much too wary to do anything.

/ / /

Astoria slept in Daphne's bed the night Justin Flinch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff Muggleborn, got petrified by the Chamber's monster.

Neither of the sister's laughed like Pansy did. Neither of the sister's cried like Lacey did. They were stoic, keeping their features passive and forcing themselves to be relaxed. They did what would be expected of them, and when in passing they saw Blaise doing the exact same thing. Because they were only thirteen and eleven, they shouldn't have to deal with giant monsters who try and kill children their own age. It wasn't fair.

/ / /

Bottles of different shapes and in different sizes with foreign labels lined the three tables that had been put together in the corner of the room. Astoria thought it excessive for a group of girls, but Jazmine had chirped on about how this was going to be the night all of the seventh years and firsties would remember for the rest of their lives. Astoria was confused, she had told Daphne this and Daphne explained that they were all going to get roaring drunk. Astoria didn't press the matter any further. "It's tradition!" Jazmine called out enthusiastically, uncapping a bottle with her wand and shoving it into the unexpected hands of a Ravenclaw first year. "It's social standard!" Another bottle was uncapped and passed to a fourth year Slytherin. "You've gotta know how to handle your drinks, first years!" Another bottle, another student. "If you don't learn how to build up a drink tolerance then you'll be very bad in the way of social graces!" Bottle uncapped. Student.

"Seven years of getting sloshed and you'd think she'd already have learned how to handle her drink." Daphne muttered lowly, accepting the bottle that was shoved into her hands with a painstakingly polite smile. Astoria was rather shocked when Daphne knocked back a gulp like it was regular pumpkin juice. A bottle was thrust to Astoria and she blinked with surprise. "Better drink up, Ria." Daphne said huskily, shaking her head slightly. "It blocks everything out for a bit." Daphne's voice was quiet and raw with honesty. Astoria took a tentative sip and winced. "It'll get better." Astoria wasn't sure. She didn't think that anything to be consumed should burn your throat so violently. "It blocks everything out for a bit." Daphne repeated with a small smile. "You're eleven, Ria. You've been through so much for eleven." Daphne cupped Astoria's face, her thumb stroking over the apples of her cheek. "Block it, sister." Astoria did what she was told, taking a large sip from the bottle, her entire body shuddering and she had to will herself not to throw up. Daphne smiled and gave her a small nod, leaning forwards and kissing her firmly on the top of her head.

/ / /

Astoria thought that being drunk was stupid. Her legs felt like the jelly they sometimes have for pudding, her mind sounded like WWN static, her mouth felt like she had swallowed dozens of cotton balls, she felt in dire need of something to drink and the mystery bottled liquid was doing nothing, her eyes were fuzzy and everything was pretty damn funny. She had left after Lacey, Bethan and Rose (they limited themselves smartly to two bottles and left) but before Daphne (Astoria had lost count of the drinks her sister had drank at number seven). She stumbled her way down to the common room, it probably being too early for Filch to be roaming the corridors or Jazmine had been telling the truth when she admitted to sweet talking the caretaker into allowing strictly _girls_ of Slytherin and Ravenclaw to roam the route from the common room's to the party without being beaten down for it.

She didn't know how she did it without assistance, but she did. The Slytherin Common Room was the best place _ever_ Astoria thought, throwing herself onto a vacant sofa. She sighed loudly and stared up at the ceiling. She didn't sleep, just stared up at the ceiling and enjoyed the soft swishing noises of the lake she was under. "Pourquoi tout est triste? Tout doit être heureux." She mumbled with a frown. Astoria sighed, the rush of air that left her mouth as heavy as the weight on her shoulders.

"Nothing can be good all the time."

Astoria squealed, rushing herself to sit and stare at the other common room occupant. Draco Malfoy sat with a small, tired smile, clad in white pyjamas and an open silk robe coloured green. "I didn't see you!" She proclaimed loudly, eyes blown wide and alert.

"It's really no wonder." Draco drawled, arching a pale brow. "What did you do, Azzy? Drink all the mouthwash?" Astoria was far too drunk to be dealing with him.

"Call me Azzy again, Draco Malfoy, and I'll break ya legs." She droned, falling back softly on the leather of the couch, staring back up at the plain ceiling. She rubbed her hands over her face softly and sighed gently, her breath tickling the few stray hairs on her face. "I don't think drinking suits me." She said after a few seconds of silence. Astoria tipped her head to the side and sighed again. He was looking at her and she felt unnerved. It felt raw, like the week periods she would spend at his home where it was just the two of them and no social expectations. His eyes weren't judging, they were a rare shade of childish innocence that Astoria had forgotten Draco even bore. They weren't judgemental, but they were by no means caring. They were just there. Looking at her. And she looked back and they stared.

"What're you drinking for anyway?" Draco muttered. His voice would have been lost had he spoke at that volume when the common room was at its usual rowdiness, but when it was just the two of them even the quietist whisper from his mouth screamed in Astoria's ears.

"Isn't it the social normalities to handle your alcohol?" Astoria narrowed her eyes, but not out of venom or disdain, just to see him more clearly. Drinking really didn't suit her.

"Who told you that?" Draco sneered. He moved around, the fabric of his night wear swishing softly and it made Astoria feel oddly content. "That's absolute rubbish."

"Oh." Astoria mumbled softly with a deep frown. "I think Jazmine just lied to us all to get a bunch of pre-teens drunk."

Draco chortled and got to his feet. "What do you need to get drunk for, anyway?" His tone came across mocking but the way his face was set so calm and pleasant Astoria thought that perhaps he was genuinely curious. Or perhaps the alcohol had gotten to her more than she realised.

Astoria paused for a moment before smiling. "À oublier. Ternir la misère."

Draco let out a soft snort and shook his head. "Misery?" His face drew together and he shook his head once more. "You've got nothing to be miserable for, Greengrass. You're one of the better ones." Astoria didn't get to drunkenly examine his facial expression as he walked towards the boys dormitory stairs, lingering at the bottom momentarily. "You should get up to bed, Greengrass. Sleep deprivation isn't a good look on anyone, especially someone hungover." He started walking again, but was halted to a stop when Astoria called out his name.

"Why were you down here, anyway?" His face went as hard as stone, unreadable and impassive.

"Just because." He answered shortly, ascending the stairs quickly before any more questions could be fired his way. Astoria huffed. Astoria sighed. Astoria waited. Astoria stood up, and like usual, she took heed of her orders. Astoria went to bed fully clothed, the taste of unknown alcohol in her mouth and her drapes drawn haphazardly around her bed. Astoria dreamt.

/ / /

I apologise for the long wait, I have been a terrible writer. But you know those exams I may have mentioned in the last chapter? Finished them, they were alright and I have returned with a new chapter. I rather like this one. I enjoyed exploring the sides of other characters. Especially Nicolai. My heart have a soft spot for Nicolai Avery.

 _ **Pourquoi tout est triste? Tout doit être heureux:**_ _Why is everything sad? Everything must be happy._

 _ **À oublier. Ternir la misère:**_ _To forget. Dull the misery_ **.**

If anyone spots any blatant errors with my translation, inform me and I'll correct it. I'm not the best at French, I tried and used multiple translators to help me, but I am by no means fluent. If you can translate it better than I can, don't hesitate to hmu. You're all grand, my lovelies!


	7. Chapter 7

"What you were saying before dawn, Draco," Astoria muttered, reaching up to hook an arm around the young boys shoulders, lowering him to her level, slowing him down so they fell back behind his friends but in front of Astoria's "about how handling your drink isn't one of our social normalities, you _did_ say it was complete rubbish, didn't you?" Her head still pounded at the base of her skull and her tongue felt like a cats. She'd be damned if she'd go to Pomfrey, the last thing she needed was someone pestering – loudly – about the consequence of drinking, especially at such a young age. Draco let out a suffered sigh as he slumped involuntarily into Astoria's arms, his body slanted in an awkward shape.

"Why would it be a normality?" Draco asked with a small sneer. It was really all he had left of his dignity, especially when a girl who barely came up to his nose had managed to make him unintentionally lower than herself. Boy, if only his father could see him now… He'd be walloped for sure. "It's ridiculous."

"Hypothetically, if your family – your mother, specifically – were to find out of an older student influencing young children to drink heavily, how would they – _she_ – react?" Absolutely everything in Astoria's tone told Draco that this wasn't hypothetical at all. The little minx had a plan. One that involved his mother, and he wasn't too sure if he was all that keen on the idea. "All hypothetical, of course, mon cher." Every fibre of Draco's being told him that she was lying. But he decided against calling her out on it. He knew when to pick his battles and there was a teeny _weeny_ little part of him that wanted to see how devious his _dear_ could be.

"My father expects it in the males." Draco answered, ignoring Astoria's petulant grouch of ' _I asked hypothetically of your mother!_ ' "But only when they reach thirteen. He thinks it improper of anyone under that age to be even sniffing it. The females, he's a bit wishy-washy about, prefers them to drink at seventeen but fifteen is the absolute bar. I only know this because he constantly mocks Avery for allowing their daughter to drink. She's twenty something now, though, but his distaste is so strong that he speaks of it often…" Draco didn't miss how Astoria's lips curled with a smirk. She nodded for him to go on. "My mother hates it. She expects fifteen for all ages. She'd be completely furious at anyone who tried to get an eleven year old drunk. Beside herself with rage." Astoria's eyes glinted and he knew he had hit the nail on the head. "All hypothetical, of course." He added, stepping from Astoria's grip while she was distracted.

"Definitely." Astoria agreed with a chipper voice and an even more chipper smile. "I will meet you by the entrance to say goodbye before I go, yes?" She lingered for an answer, swaying happily from foot to foot as she rooted herself in place, awaiting the three purposefully trailing girls. Draco gave her his agreement in stone, nodding firmly, smiling kindly but tightly, walking off briskly.

Breakfast came and went, glorious food had been demolished and Astoria felt by no means better, but definitely fuller and furthermore bitter when Daphne looped an arm through hers, beaming widely and practically singing with every word she spoke. Daphne wasn't suffering at all, the wench. Daphne trilled on about going home, how she was so excited to see Safiya again! How Hogwarts is brilliant and all, but nothing quite beats going home and being with all your own property, you'll see, Ria. Astoria had never quite revelled in Draco Malfoy's appearance quite like she did then.

"I'll see you when I see you later, sister!" Daphne called out gleefully, untacking herself from her sister and reattaching herself to her betrothed, immediately delving into incessant chatter.

"You're never that cheerful." Draco commented in replacement of a greeting, burrowing his hands into the pockets of his robes. He was silently very grateful for that matter. Astoria rolled her eyes and sighed, slumping her head back and staring up at the ceiling. Draco watched her silently, unsure if he should be the first to say goodbye. He decided against it. He'd say the wrong thing and possibly this weird vendetta she held over her alcohol distributor would be shifted his direction. Astoria drew out a long breath, the air wisping cloudily around her mouth and reaching upwards. "Won't you be lonely here? Most are going home." He'd spend the rest of his life never admitting to it, but Draco was a little touched by her concern.

"Would I rather leave here – where there is still a large mass of people, where I have Crabbe and Goyle, where the amusement and thrill of the Heir is – to go home, where it's just me, mum, dad and then you for a week? With absolutely no news of the Heir?" Astoria lifted her head back up to look at him with the quirk of her brow. "I think I'll risk my chances, Azzy." A puff of annoyance left her mouth and she muttered something about ' _insufferable imbeciles_ '. "Why are you leaving?" He asked out of pure curiosity. "You won't have my home to hide in for a week out of the prying hands of Violeta. You'll have to face her, Azzy, and truth be told, I'm going to pray for you on that count."

"I'm a step-mummies girl," she said with a droll "what can I say?" She let out a dramatic whimper and shook her head wildly, hair falling from behind her shoulders and spilling down her front. "Violeta is going to coddle me." She grimaced with the slump of her shoulders. "She's going to make me sleep at her house because she missed sending me off." Her eyes began to get rather distant and she stared down at the ground. "I pretend that I loathe her affections and her entire being, and it's true to an extent. I have to, she left, but never did I think she'd forget." Her voice was so quiet Draco struggled to hear. She met his eye and there was an old, harrowed type of sadness; one he had only seen in his mother's eyes a few selected times. "Daphne tells me to stop holding an impossibly low bar for her because we all know that Violeta does not jump, she walks. And even she the bar is pressed so low to the ground she'll walk around it." A small smirk quirked at the edges of her mouth. "I think Daphne just wanted to compare Violeta to a show horse."

"Well good for Daphne." Draco sneered, instantly hoping that Astoria would never breathe a word of his obscure complementation to her sister. If she did, he may as well kiss goodbye to everything he ever knew. "You've got Safiya and you'd be idiotic to think that my mother holds no affections for you. So fuck Violeta." Astoria's eyes widened almost comically at his usage of explicit language. She didn't giggle like Pansy would have (thank _Merlin_ for that) and she didn't gasp like Daphne would have (that would have been _semi_ -okay, much better than a giggle for sure). She simply stared at him for the smallest of seconds with large eyes and an even smaller smile. "I am _not_ repeating that." She said firmly, propping her hands on her waist and tilting up her head. It was a look Draco had seen many prestigious, pureblood women use and it was a little unsettling to see it on an eleven year old girl.

"Good." He replied with the quirk of his brow. "Now you won't tell my mother."

"I'll keep it in my arsenal for now, Draco Malfoy." Astoria dropped her arms to her side and smiled, looking her age instead of someone three times her senior. "Avoir un bon Noël, Draco."

"You too, Azzy." Her little smile turned into a deep frown and she huffed. He stared at her as she floated away in a strop and couldn't help but smirk. "Check your mail on the twenty-fifth." He called after her.

She stopped in her tracks and hummed softly to herself. "Check yours in accordance of my mood towards you. That may lighten significantly depending on my satisfaction with my gift."

/ / /

Violeta wasn't at the station when Astoria and Daphne got off the train. Daphne sneered that it's exactly like our mother, Ria, we've become uninteresting to her. Astoria wasn't sure, and maybe she may just be late? Daphne was completely sure, Violeta never did us any good anyway, I say good riddance. Blaise congratulated Daphne on the appearance of her backbone.

Violeta wasn't at the Greengrass Estate when Astoria and Daphne arrived through Floo. Astoria sniffled slightly and Daphne called her a big baby. Blaise mourned the loss of his 'kick-arse baby sister'. Safiya slapped her son over the head for his foul language.

Violeta didn't appear through Floo on Christmas Eve like usual. Astoria would deny the fact that she wept into her pillow until the day she died. Daphne excused her tears on pure rage. Blaise counted his lucky stars that his mother wanted something to do with him. Safiya fumed silently and filled her beloveds with gooey cookies and fresh milk.

Violeta sent a simple card and letter on Christmas Day along with a few dresses for each of her girls. Astoria never liked yellow. Daphne never liked pink. The dresses were scratchy and two sizes too big and far too short. The cards smelled heavily of cheap perfume, the letters were rushed. Safiya burned them in front of the girls eyes and told them not to worry themselves over a simple town-bike. Blaise was the only one who understood the innuendo and snickered all the way through breakfast.

Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy send hand-crafted cards with excellent notes on the inside, presents for all three children and several large bouquets of flowers for Safiya. It was clear Narcissa wrote every bit, but Lucius's small signature in the bottom corner was affectionate enough. Astoria received a beautiful, hand-embroidered green silk dress along with a book of 100,003 international old folks tales – Astoria loved them very much, the dress fit her perfectly and the book had no pictures, just how she liked them. Daphne received a beautiful hair clip with dozens of green emeralds and tanzanite's and a book on 801,098 ways to style your hair. Blaise received a large, chunky Quidditch book and a handheld pocket guide to several hundred hexes and jinxes. Safiya nearly wept with joy as she ordered around the elves to place the flowers around the house.

Draco Malfoy sent Astoria a small note (written in delicately worded French) with a diamond necklace. Astoria didn't take it off all day.

Theo Nott sent Daphne an owl carved from wood. Daphne didn't stop grinning and spoke at least once in every passing hour of how he had made it himself, look, Ria, he carved my initials on the bottom to prove it! Astoria thought it was very nice, Daph, but you've shown it to me eleven times already and I don't have short-term memory loss.

Astoria sent Draco a candlestick made by goblins and a book of 976 and a half species of magical dogs fit for children. She wrote on the inside that many of these dogs would be suitable to sleep at the bottom of his bed so he didn't have to not wake her the next time. Draco sneered at the presumptuous 'next-time' and sneered at Crabbe when he asked why he was smiling at a book of dogs.

Daphne sent Theo a pair of black knitted gloves. She attached a note that swore in all honesty that she never went back on her word of spending money on him and I only spend my time, Theo, oh, and I also got Safiya to charm them so wind doesn't get through the holes, I hope you're having a great Christmas!

Safiya received a letter in shaky cursive. None of her children got to even take a glimpse before she set it up in flames in her lap with her wand clutched tightly in her trembling hands. Safiya didn't eat anything after that. Neither Blaise, Daphne nor Astoria paid any attention to Safiya's odd behaviour – it happened every Christmas, anyway. She'd be fine by tomorrow.

/ / /

Daphne fiddled with her carved owl, drinking in every detail as she picked at the platter of berries, cheese and crackers before her. Astoria and Blaise chattered back and forth over soggy cereal. Safiya absently stroked at the glistening white owl perched on the arm of her seat with one hand and with the other she opened a grand invitation without a flicker of emotion. She read it with steely eyes, conjured a quill and an ink pot and sent a brisk, yet effective, RSVP. Feeding the owl a cracker stolen from Daphne's plate (the young girl simply exhaled heavily through her nose), Safiya reattached the invitation and the snow white owl swept from the room.

Astoria kicked out her feet, hit Blaise's shin – as she had hoped – and gave him a pointed look, inclining her head subtly towards his mother. Blaise grouched under his breath, shooting a harrowing glare at his younger sibling before he straightened. "Who was that from, mum?" He asked, leaning forward to try and get a glimpse of the card.

"Nothing to do with you, baby." Safiya murmured, picking the card up and reading it with more intent. She let out a soft, airy laugh and shook her head. "How she gets away with these notions is beyond me."

"Who?" Daphne asked, clutching her wooden owl and bringing it close to her chest.

Safiya looked up and smiled brightly, like she had not just spent the better part of twenty-four hours completely vacant and void of near enough everything. "Why, Narcissa Malfoy, of course." Safiya stood slowly and ran her hands down the front of her night gown. "Blaise, you'll be alright alone, won't you? I'll have the elves keep an eye on you, of course."

Astoria let out a dramatic groan. "I don't want to go to Mother's house!" She moaned, jutting out her lower lip and putting on her best puppy dog eyes as she stared at Safiya. "Can't me and Daph stay here? Please? _Pretty_ please?"

"Daph and I, Astoria." Safiya corrected light-heartedly. "And I do not care how well dressed your please is." Safiya sniffed but her lips were curled into a smile. "And I am never letting that woman near my little jewels again if I can help it." Daphne met her younger sister's eye and beamed. Astoria frowned, not fully comprehending what Daphne had figured out. "We're going to a party." Daphne jumped to her feet and squealed.

"But I'm thirteen!" Blaise objected, face slumping tremendously. "That's not fair! Astoria's –"

"I really do hope you're not kicking up a fuss, my child." Safiya's words were sharp and her smile was almost lethal. Blaise quietened as he, too, realised the potential for murder behind his mother's voice, and it was no secret that Safiya Zabini could murder _and_ get away with it. "That is what I thought." She raised a critical eyebrow that silently told her son to remain quiet. "It's to do with EPW which is why you are to remain here and why Astoria's presence has been allowed." Safiya set down the card in front of Daphne. "Narcissa said that I was allowed to bring the girls. It's a… _welcome to the pack_ type get together with the seventh year Juniors." Safiya shot an odd look at Astoria when she straightened and grinned widely. "Narcissa claims that your presence will make them feel more relaxed, but I really just think she wants you around, Ria." Safiya picked up an untouched scone from the centre of the table and placed it on Astoria's plate. "I really think you made a good impression on her, Astoria. You're one of the few."

/ / /

The Malfoy Manor at Christmas was something to be rivalled. Fairies in jars floated about the house, a grand Christmas tree decorated with beautiful lights and sparkles reached the roof, numerous instruments played without the assistance of people, the house elves that scurried about had on horrendous – yet charming – green bobbled hats, and snow fell from the roof but vanished with just enough time not to soak ones hair. Astoria thought it was the absolute height of glamour. From the looks of it, neither Safiya nor Daphne disagreed. "What if they all hate me?" Daphne whispered with wide, near glassy eyes. "I'm going to be exiled from the Society. I just _know_ it." Astoria rolled her eyes and gripped onto Safiya's hand a little tighter. The sound of rather obnoxious laughter drew closer and Daphne's nerves reached an all-time high. Astoria attempted to tell her sister that she was going to be fine, Astoria had already met them once before and they were nice enough. Well, you had Narcissa on your side, didn't you, sister? Unlike you, I am not betrothed to the son of the Superintendent. Ah, yes, sister, and while that may be true, you are to be the sister-in-law of the son of the Superintendent. Daphne was quite after that.

"We should thank the heavens above that our dearest Superintendent was generous enough to host a surprise celebratory dinner the day after Christmas." Safiya commented silkily upon entrance to the dining room. The room went quite at the sound of her voice and all eyes went to them. The smallest quirk lifted up the corners or Narcissa's mouth and her brows inched upwards, almost as if she were challenging Safiya to go on. And so she did. "Had you sprung this on us in the summer, Cissa, I really don't think I'd be looking as glamourous as I do now. Let us all thank Merlin for Christmas, shall we?"

"Isn't it the Muggle's God Christ we should be thanking for this wonderful occasion?" Narcissa implored, tipping her head to the side and casting a wonderfully gorgeous expression of deep thought of her face. "I always forget about such trivial things." She waved a dismissive hand through the air and got to her feet, not a crinkle to be seen on her dress robes. "And you're always dressed up to the nines, Safiya. It is terribly unlike you to play modest."

"I'd say I'm always at a ten at _least_." Astoria watched as the two women exchanged pleasantries, kissing both cheeks and murmuring their season's greetings. "I'm assuming you all know my youngest, Astoria." Safiya addressed the older women, eyes flitting over the large table, grinning sharply at the fresh, young faces. "If not, you'd do well to." She murmured, skimming her soft hand over Astoria's arm. "This is my eldest daughter Daphne." Safiya displayed Daphne with a deep sense of pride, placing a hand on her upper back and grinning. "Less lethal than Astoria, here, but just as polite." Daphne's cheeks turned crimson and Astoria had to give it to her, Daphne grinned and pretended like she wasn't about to crumble under the spotlight. She even remembered to curtsey, apparently she could remember her manners within the Malfoy Manor.

"Nonsense." Narcissa admonished with a small smile, taking Daphne and Astoria's hands in each of her own. "They're both absolute gems." It was amazing that Daphne didn't just faint. "And you both look fantastic – I'm thrilled that the dress fit you, Astoria, it looks truly wonderful on you." Narcissa trailed a finger up the long sleeve and stopped at the gift she received from Draco. "So you liked it, then?" She asked quietly and everyone around them busied themselves with small conversation. Astoria nodded wholeheartedly. "Good, good." She murmured, fingering a string of small diamonds. "I was worried. I was insistent on the charm bracelet but Draco wouldn't give up." Astoria just smiled, unsure of what Narcissa was expecting of a reply. Or did she want one at all? Astoria didn't know.

"I really liked my stories." She said instead, plastering on a large smile. "Especially the one about the Ancient Greek princess. I thought it to be highly unrealistic but charming all the same."

"I'm elated that you enjoyed them, Astoria." Narcissa hooked a finger under the young girl's chin and tilted her chin upwards. "The Juniors have been welcoming, I hope?"

"Very." Astoria confirmed with a tight nod. "Jazzy's a good person, I couldn't think of another seventh year more trusting and worthy of the position than she."

"Brilliant." Narcissa mused brightly. "Daphne!" Daphne's skeleton almost fell from her body at Narcissa's exclamation. "Your hair piece looks gorgeous on – I do hope I got your birthstone correct?" Astoria highly doubted that Narcissa ever got anything wrong. Daphne stumbled out that Narcissa was absolutely correct and she was grateful for such an exquisite head piece and a wonderful book. Narcissa beamed and stroked a thumb over Daphne's flushed cheek and murmured that it was the least she could do, Daphne was just as much family as Astoria. She wondered off with purpose (she more than likely always had purpose, even if the ones around her couldn't quite identify it) and busied herself ordering the House-Elves and Daphne released a large puff of air she never realised she had been holding.

"How did you do that?" Daphne asked with awe, looking at her younger sister with wide eyes. "How do you manage an entire _week_ in her presence without floundering? Without turning into a massive ball of incoherent goop?"

"People can say the same about Saf." Astoria pointed out with a careless shrug. "Right next to Narcissa, Safiya's the one they respect the most. We live with her, they're probably just as astonished with us and our interactions with Safiya as you are with me and my interactions around Narcissa."

"The flowers were beautiful, by the way." Safiya muttered, grabbing onto Narcissa's elbow. "I haven't received flowers since..."

"Harrison, yes, I thought that."

Safiya nodded and looked around the corners of the room like a common criminal, watching for anyone who may be so inclined to stoop as low as eavesdropping in on their Superintendents conversation. "I got a card yesterday." Narcissa turned her head to the side ever so slightly. "Earlier than usual. It came minutes before the elves served Christmas Dinner. I had to savage for leftovers at midnight like a common heathen I was so put off by it all." Safiya's hand went limp at Narcissa's elbow and she twisted it down her forearm, taking her hand lightly in hers. "Did you get one from –"

"No." Safiya motioned Astoria and Daphne to take a seat with the flick of her hand, eager for just a few more seconds alone with no prying ears as the two girls drew silent and inched closer to the comfort they had. She breathed a small sigh of relief when they scraped out chairs and Narcissa didn't leave to abandon the conversation while it was still in the air. Instead, she carried on. "I'm rather grateful." Narcissa murmured. "She was always self-centred. I assume she is still angry at me for not following her footsteps." Narcissa copied Safiya's paranoid actions, eyes darting about the room almost skittishly. "If she's not completely lost it, that is. It's been over eleven years and she was nuts _before_ Az –"

"I don't know." Safiya murmured, using her grip on the other woman's hand to turn her around so they were facing each other, hoping that she could display her vulnerability through her expressions rather than verbally, so if there were any prying ears – no matter how big or small – they would never be able to hold it against her. "My letter – Cissa, it was perfectly eligible, albeit a little quivery in places, but the sentences were strung beautifully. Like a poem, you know how he spoke, I could just imagine him sitting back on the sofa speaking those exact words." Safiya stalled, closing her eyes and drawing a shallow breath. "Do you not think that it could be –"

"I don't know where you get these notions, Safiya." Narcissa cooed softly, brushing fallen hair from the other woman's face. "The Dark Lord is dead."

"They say he survived." Safiya choked out. "That he's in hiding until he gathers up power – surely that can't take all these years."

"I see the mark daily, Saf." She breathed with the slight shake of her head. "It is nothing but a very faint red outline. Nothing like the charcoal black stain it was back when he was in power. The Dark Lord is dead."

"We don't know that for sure." Safiya said, determined to stay stubborn.

Narcissa gave a small smile and smoothed her hand over Safiya's bare shoulder. "Perhaps you should speak with Lucius?"

Safiya let out a snort and shook her head. "No." She declined with a polite smile. "I am barely comfortable with displaying my… _revolting_ paranoia and nerves with you, one of my oldest friends, I will never be able to live with myself if I went to your husband and _his_ best friend about my problems." Safiya's smile wavered. "As much as I appreciate the offer I must decline. I will be losing enough sleep over the situation as it is already, I don't need to be losing more sleep because Lucius Malfoy knows my business." At Narcissa's arched brow Safiya copied her actions. Narcissa relented and smiled softly.

"Although I think you are an imbecile to reject my offering, Safiya, I must respect your decision just as much." She sighed levelly and stood a little straight, taking back her hand and stepping back, a non-verbal indication that the subject would be dropped. "Now, take a seat by your two beautiful girls and forget of all this nonsense, understand? Get lost in the feeling of belonging and family and for Heaven's sake, for your own sanity, Safiya, forget about it."

Questions around the table as they indulged in succulent, delicious foods was a little boring but completely enticing (especially to Daphne). The seventh years were asked numerous questions about home life, school and their own little social circles – mandatory pleasantries, of course, but when Narcissa asked the questions she had a way of making herself come across as genuinely interested. Astoria would have been fooled had she not seen her speak with her family. Narcissa Malfoy was _always_ interested in what Draco or Lucius had to say. She began to worry about how many times she had feigned interest while speaking with her.

Safiya didn't hold back with her yawns and sneers, only completely absorbed when either Daphne or Astoria spoke and that was only for seconds at a time. It was amusing and the rest of the ladies thought so too but fought hard to keep their amusement under wraps. Narcissa appeared passive but the way she allowed it to go on showed her own flicker of private hilarity.

Astoria listened to each of the seventh year's answers eagerly, just waiting for the topic of _anything_ alcoholic to come up. There just _had_ to be an opening for her public slaughter, mustn't there? Any opening, no matter how big or how small, she _had_ to jump at the chance. Preferably the direct topic of alcohol – Daphne is a smart girl and would catch on immediately if it were a topic so vague. She wasn't entirely worried about it, after all, Daphne's smart – she'd know to keep her mouth shut and for permanent closure, all Astoria would have to do is give her reasons and she could do that.

While Daphne was smart, Astoria was her sister and spent nearly every waking moment trying to be her carbon copy and it paid off – she adapted Daphne's social skills despite being in very few social situations herself. She chipped into the conversation regularly, adding in a small comment that made few smile and laugh at her childish innocence so that when she let slip that an eleven year old was fed alcohol by the Superintendent of the Juniors it would be anything but suspicious. Just a passing comment that would more than likely enrage a few people. Even if she didn't get the reaction she wanted from Narcissa, Safiya would surely rise above Astoria's standards, especially since she seemed so keen on scaring the soon-to-be new Poster recruits.

"- Jazmine and Dan are _really_ cute together." Jazmine blushed bright red under the attention and Astoria cocked an eyebrow. "They're going to get married." Ann-Marie stated with an affirmative nod. "I can just tell." Astoria fought hard to repress her sneer. Ann-Marie was a tragically stereotypical girl. She enjoyed gossip, she laughed shrilly in the presence of any boy, she twirled her hair around her finger in order to 'flirt', she batter her eyelashes by means of getting what she desired and she had the tendency of wearing make-up a few shades darker than her skin tone. It was _exactly_ what Pansy would end up as and the thought always made Astoria smirk.

"We've _hardly_ been together long." Jazmine muttered, occupying herself with shredding up a stem of broccoli with her knife and fork. "I can barely think past the end of our education with him – never mind _marriage_."

"Personally, I don't think you should go into a relationship if you just think about the end of it." Astoria quipped, picking up her goblet of orange juice and taking a small sip. Jazmine's brows raised in surprise and – Astoria hoped that she didn't make it up – a little bit of fear. What, exactly, Jazmine was fearful of was easy enough to guess. She had gone out her way to skilfully avoid Astoria at meetings and never brought up the topic of relationships in her presence which meant that she neglected to warn her to keep her little mouth closed. She wanted to, Astoria could tell, especially when she would march purposefully to the Slytherin table every few mealtimes and then just wonder on by looking rather defeated. It was more than likely because she was unsure, unsure of how much or how little Astoria had witnessed and she was far too thick witted to figure out a sly way of asking her without giving too much away.

"Because _you're_ a relationship expert, Ria?" Daphne hissed quietly, swinging out her leg to sock Astoria's ankle as penance.

Astoria winced, slumping her shoulders and frowning intensely. "It's just _my_ opinion. Do what you want, Daph – go into dozens of relationships and only think about when you're gonna end it, be miserably content." Astoria gave her sister a mean grin and shrugged her shoulders. "I just think that you should go into a relationship with the thought of eventually marrying the person. If you don't then perhaps you should get to know them a little more before committing yourself to them." Astoria snuck a glance up at Jazmine and shrugged again. "People aren't always who you think they are."

"I'm going to confiscate all your romance novels." Daphne huffed with a slight grimace. "You're eleven and you're spouting off tips about _love_. It doesn't suit you."

Astoria turned and glowered playfully. " _Everything_ suits me."

"Apparently not modesty, sister mine." The two shared a grin and turned back to their slowly emptying plates.

"What about you, Astoria?" A slightly older woman asked cheerfully. Astoria recognised her as Demetria, a woman in her late forties, who had been quite the girl when she first joined EPW, all of the magazines completely absorbed with her. That had evaporated over time, though, especially when Mrs Black moved up a peg and Narcissa began her reign, but Astoria could see why she was the subject of many articles. Her eyes were a deep brown and her eyelashes long, tickling her brow bone when she so much as looked straight ahead; her skin was perfectly clear and had a certain glow about it, even with her increasing age; her nails were always painted with pretty colours that always coordinated with what she was wearing on her feet; Demetria was the type that was effortlessly pretty, even when nearing fifty. Her smile was large and kind. "Have you got a secret boyfriend?"

Safiya audibly groaned and hung her head in her hands. "Oh, sweet _Merlin_ , save the future of this organisation." She murmured, loud enough for the entire table to hear. Demetria burned red at Safiya's first mocking of someone who wasn't still in education being aimed directly at her. Demetria attempted to babble that she forgot of young Astoria's betrothal, that she is ever so sorry, Narcissa, she didn't intend to offend – "Why else would an eleven year old girl be here if she were not someone important to our future? Bloody hell, Demetria, don't be so _dense_."

"Now, Safiya." Narcissa scolded mildly, although her eyes sparkled and her lips twitched with unshed mirth. Safiya simply huffed and gnawed on a piece of cut up chicken.

" _Well_ ," Safiya grunted, shifting about in her seat as she swallowed "it serves her right. _Forgot_." She drawled with a negative shake of her head and the heavy rolling of her eyes. "Astoria's betrothal to Draco is the most exciting thing to have happened in the EPW since it was up in the air who would get Superintendent between the two of us." Safiya flicked a hand lazily between herself and Narcissa. "You simply don't _forget_ occasions like this." Safiya's eyes suddenly went hard and unforgiving. "Unless, sweet Demetria, you were implying that I have raised a child who is somewhat of a harlot." Demetria's eyes went wide and she immediately tried to dispel of the accusation with frantic panic. "Besides." Safiya muttered crisply, eyes narrowing to slits. "I have it on _very_ good authority that Draco and Astoria may… _reside_ with whomever they wish until the wedding date. This is the twentieth century, _darling_. Do well to remember women's rights."

"Here, here." Narcissa sighed, tipping up her glass in agreement. Astoria wasn't exactly sure _what_ she was agreeing with, but she looked wonderful while doing it, anyhow. "And if you're _quite_ finished, Saf. We're supposed to be welcoming our new set of recruits, not terrifying them."

"I'm just making it clear that if anyone attempts to belittle any of those I consider family I will be out for _blood_." Safiya delivered her statement with a growl and a near sickening smile. "And that's all I have to say on that matter." Safiya folded up a used napkin primly and edged her plate back, resurfacing her face with a cheery smile. "Dinner was lovely, Narcissa. Like always."

"Thank you, Safiya, I'll be sure to pass the compliments on to the Elves." Narcissa smiled politely and Safiya nodded, leaning back in her chair and sighing with contentment. Everyone seemed to follow Safiya's lead, placing down their cutlery, shifting their plates back and sitting straighter. Narcissa cleared her throat sharply and so suddenly that the seventh year girls and Daphne jumped with near fright. A small, hobbled house elf appeared at Narcissa's feet and she muttered away to it while her few startled guests tried to reclaim their posture. Daphne grasped at Astoria's hand and breathed shallowly and rapidly. Astoria snickered.

The elf disapparated with a loud pop and within seconds, the table was cleared of scraps of food and in its place, pots of tea and stacks of delicious looking biscuits, cookies, muffins and mini cupcakes stood. This was how she was going to get fat, Astoria thought morosely, Narcissa's incessant need to always have food on the table, food that tasted like it had been touched by the lips of Merlin himself and no matter how full you may be, there was always room for several dozen cakes and other sugary goodness. Perhaps that was the plan, stock Astoria full until she could barely move, so she'd have no other option but to just reside in Malfoy Manor for the rest of her days and have nothing better to do with her time than supply an Heir for the Malfoy line.

Conversation switched from the seventh years schooling to official Poster members reminiscing of their own school days. Astoria made a point to say something snidely to Safiya and Daphne whenever something was said – just to keep up a persona.

It eventually began to feel like she would never get the opportunity to humiliate Jazmine. A few of the older members had dismissed themselves politely and Astoria feared that Safiya would be the next to announce her departure whenever the older woman shifted in her seat. The days ended and opportunity arose.

Safiya snickered into her tea cup and shook her head. "Does anyone remember the near fermented alcohol good ol' Bella Black used to sneak us?" A few chuckles swooped around the table and Narcissa cringed, shaking her head. "This stuff was the _worst_. She and Vio – one of her friends used to sweet talk the main house elf on kitchen duty on Fridays for alcohol. Used to bribe the poor thing with Honeydukes chocolate." Safiya let out a bark of a laugh. "It came in incredibly dodgy brown bottles. All the labels in Bulgarian – we only knew that because Violeta speaks it." Safiya chortled and downed the rest of her tea. "She called the stuff a _delicacy_. It tasted rotten – I'm sure if you older girls wanted to have a _proper_ graduation party –" Safiya winked "- I could squeeze details from dear old Violeta. I see her _far_ too often for my liking these days."

"Brown bottles?" Astoria parroted softly. "Like the ones we had on the last day of term, Daph?" Daphne went red and shook her head wildly but it was too late. Safiya pierced Astoria with a hard look and raised a threatening brow, all look of contentment and near happiness completely gone. Astoria shrunk back into her seat. "Have I done something wrong?"

"What do you mean when you said _we had_?" Safiya snarled lowly, leaning towards the young girls face. If she were a dog, Astoria was sure she'd be absolutely feral. "You didn't _touch_ a single _drop_ of what was in those bottles, did you Astoria?" She didn't have to try very hard to look scared.

"We – We were told we were allowed." She stammered, trying hard to shuffle her chair closer to her sister's but failing when Safiya took a stern grip of it. Daphne leaned close to Astoria's ear and growled " _Que faites-vous?_ " urgently. Astoria only shook her head wildly in response.

"Who told you that?" Safiya cried out and the majority of the Poster segment leaned forwards with interest and anticipation. The seventh years sweated slightly and Jazmine looked incredibly green. "Astoria, I swear to Merlin, child, if you do not –"

"Safiya!" Narcissa barked coldly. Safiya stopped midsentence and her eyes flickered between her Superintendent and her youngest. "Sit. Back." Narcissa levelled the other woman with a harsh glower fit to knock a thousand men off their feet without so much as lifting a finger. Astoria regretted ever becoming so vengeful. "You're only serving to scare her." Narcissa took a short sip of her tea and looked like she wished it were much stronger. "Astoria has a good head on her shoulders – you should do well to remember that, _you_ raised her." Safiya opened her mouth to grouch moodily but was cut off by a sharp tut. "She will respond just as truthful with polite manners. The such that don't cause _scenes_."

Safiya's eyes closed and she drew out a short breath. Astoria wondered if she would ever see the light of day again. Her eyes opened again and she stared across the table at supposed nothingness, but Astoria knew better. She knew better than to believe the portrayal of Safiya's regular maliciousness and spite, because Merlin only knew that she held herself back daily. She dampened her lips with the flicker of her tongue (it reminded Astoria scarily of a snake) and grinned just a little too sharply. "Remember, Cissa, when Bella first brought about the bottles? How old were we then, possibly going on fourteen?" Narcissa's eyes narrowed slightly at Safiya's far too friendly tone. "And you had a distant cousin who was in first year and Bells was _certain_ that she would snitch. Remember? So Bella lied. She told the girl that it was _expected_ of the females to handle their drink because men are pricks and would try and intoxicate us heavily to get laid. Do you remember?"

"I recall." Narcissa sat up pin straight. "Where are you going with this, Safiya?"

"And the girl didn't believe Bells at first, but she was _Superintendent_. She couldn't voice her disdain in fear of banishment. And so, she drank." For added point, Safiya took an excruciatingly long sip of her tea. "It was smart of dear Bellatrix, really. If she drank, she couldn't tell because she knew her mother would be angrier at her for drinking in the first place."

From Astoria's left, Daphne let out a withered sigh and shook her head solemnly. "Félicitations." She grumbled. She really wanted to take pity on her but she just couldn't muster the courage, she wanted to tell Safiya that really, Astoria hadn't been too sure in the first place about drinking, that it was all her fault. She was the one who told Astoria to drink the thoughts of the ever active Heir away and her sister was paying the price. She felt bad – just not bad enough. Astoria would spend hours upon hours reading book after book no matter the genre. She was wise beyond her years and honestly, that scared Daphne in the slightest. She was a bright enough girl to know that admitting that she even _knew_ of these brown bottles was the equivalent of running and yelling loudly across a pit with famished, human eating snakes. Daphne could only come to the conclusion that her little sister was up to something very, very sneaky and it involved a certain Superintendent. She held Narcissa far too close to heart to sabotage her and from the stories she's heard, Mrs Black is a nasty piece of work. Jazmine, however, was an entirely different case. Daphne balked and looked to the shying ginger who was full on green.

Apparently, she wasn't the only to come to the conclusion about Jazmine – although, Safiya, in all fairness, had most definitely taken a different route. The pathway where Astoria's innocence was perfectly intact and she hadn't a malicious bone in her body. The pathway where Jazmine had pressured sweet little Astoria into drinking the juice of the devil. Safiya's eyes were filled with fury yet her mouth was curved into a friendly smile. Daphne prayed silently for the girl.

"You know, Cissa, I did often wonder if, perhaps, someone else would come to the same conclusion." Safiya tapped her nails rhythmically on the table and Daphne wondered if it was some sort of coping mechanism on how not to just draw out her wand and hex the poor girl under her heavy glower into oblivion. She leaned forwards, her straightened black hair draping rather beautifully around her face, casting a slight shadow over her now-forming snarl. Daphne didn't blame Jazmine when she leaned back. "I am going to ask you one time and one time only." Safiya ground out lowly. She asked lowly, dangerously if she fed her daughters alcohol. Jazmine shuddered and Safiya shrieked out a laugh. She declared, quite loudly, that she didn't even need to answer – she knew already. Jazmine's mouth ran dry and her eyes swelled with tears. Safiya sneered, Astoria shivered and the air from Daphne's lungs blew out in one swift blow. Safiya was up and out of her chair in and instance and for the first time in her eleven years of reigning, Narcissa stood swiftly, her chair tumbling to the ground and her wand clutched tightly in her hand. Narcissa Malfoy appeared to have reached breaking point. Or as close to the point as she had ever been in a long while.

Safiya laughed manically. She asked if Cissy was going to physically remove her from her property or hex her for causing a ruckus. Narcissa simply exhaled shortly through her nose and shook her head. She replied that she was going to do quite the opposite. She drifted to the Junior Superintendent, standing behind her chair and placing a hand on the young girls shoulder. A few fear induced tears dribbled down Jazmine's rose tinted cheeks. Narcissa bent over slightly at the waist and pursed her lips. She told Jazmine in a very low whisper that if she even heard that she had blew a single _hair_ out of line she'd be stripped of her position and thrown out of the Organisation all together. She added that she didn't care if she had to do it while she was kicking and screaming because _she_ is _Superintendent_ and everything _always_ falls exactly into place without her trying. Jazmine choked out that she understood.

Safiya laughed manically and Narcissa straightened with a chipper smile. She suggested that they all congregate in the ball room, she'd tell Lucius that the dancing can commence and all of the respective husbands can come out of their hiding and enjoy some decades old whiskey and pleasant music. Astoria paled and Daphne's heart beat erratically. Jazmine sniffled into her hand.

They didn't stay for long after. Safiya dragged both girls away in secret halfway through the second song, her grip a little too tight and her words a little too firm to be considered gracious and polite goodbyes. Jazmine's family left as soon as they could, her mother red and her father slightly green. Astoria tried to pay no attention and delayed Daphne's constant questioning with the flick of her hand and the low whisper of "I'll explain later, I promise."

Later came, much sooner than Astoria ever wanted but before she knew it, she was sent to bed at four in the afternoon, instructed to think about what she had done. Blaise looked far too interested to even be considered healthy, practically tripping over his feet when Safiya raised her voice when forced to send her youngest away for the send time that minute. Astoria listened at the third order when Safiya drew out her wand and told her to, please, get out of my sight before I do something I'll come to regret. Daphne stumbled through Astoria's bedroom door twenty minutes after, her arms folded across her chest and a look of hard disappointment sketched across her pretty features. She closed the door softly behind her, casting one paranoid glance out to the empty hall before crossing the room in a few, long strides, standing still at the foot of Astoria's bed. She asked slowly what the absolute _Hell_ she was thinking any why on _earth_ did she have something against Jazmine in Greek which frightened Astoria slightly, because Daphne hated speaking Greek, she much preferred French and it was her go to when she wanted to speak out of English. But Greek was bad, Greek meant that Safiya was livid beyond measures. Greek meant that Daphne was fearful of what their step-mother may do if she caught wind of Astoria's less than innocent actions. Greek was a language that only the two girls spoke within their household. Greek was a language that ensured a private conversation.

Astoria rubbed at her eyes and pouted slightly, shifting under the covers and creating a small burrow space for her sister. She smoothed her hand over the cooling vacancy as a silent invitation and let out a suffered sigh. "It wasn't supposed to happen like that." She admitted in a small whisper, flinching when the floorboards in front of her door creaked under the weight of something – more than likely a house elf instructed to snoop by its mistress. Daphne hissed out that it would be best if English and French were a no-go for the time being. Astoria nodded and waited until Daphne settled into the bedsheets before telling her the story of Ivanna and Jazmine.

When done, Daphne simply nodded with a small smile and kissed the top of Astoria's head. She tiptoed out from her sister's bed silently and only stopped when Astoria called out her name. "I – I wanted her to lose something." She admitted quietly. "I wanted her to come close to losing something that means the world to her – because to Ivanna, that completely incompetent wench is the world. Jazmine is Ivanna's Superintendent role. I wanted –" Astoria paused and dampened her dry lips with the flicker of her tongue. "I _needed_ her to feel the pain I see Ivanna go through."

"Who would have thought it?" Daphne murmured softly. "Astoria Greengrass can empathise with people outside of her family. I really never thought this day would come." Astoria snarled and launched a pillow at her.

/ / /

 _ **Mon cher**_ = My dear

 _ **Avoir un bon Noël, Draco**_ = Have a good Christmas, Draco.

 _ **Que faites-vous?**_ = What are you doing?

 _ **Félicitations**_ = Congratulations.

For some reason, FF isn't letting me upload documents from Word so I'm using a rather shitty word processor which makes my eyes hurt slightly, hence the delay (there's only so much eye pain I can put up with) and any possible errors. There's an actual one second lag time from when I type to when the letters appear on screen. It's driving me up the wall, God dammit all.


	8. Chapter 8

"It's valentine's day tomorrow." Astoria looked over the top of her book and cocked an eyebrow at Rose who was feigning some sort of innocence. After the whole Boxing Day Diabolical (as Astoria had dubbed it in her head) life had been somewhat… _silent_. After, of course, Draco laughed until he cried about the backlash she faced. EPW meetings had been seldom and when they were in action they treated Astoria like a ticking time-bomb and _royalty_ ; there was no Greek letters to be delivered every morning; the Heir had been rather quite, frighteningly so; and Ivanna had been drinking less frequently and cracked a few (albeit terrible) jokes.

It was almost as if things were returning to normal. Although they weren't, because the Chamber of Secrets was still open, Safiya was still rather angry, Jazmine was still with Dan, Daphne had started _giggling_ around Theo bloody Nott, Narcissa had started writing to Astoria weekly, conversations with Draco were now in mainly all French, the Carrow Twins frequently invited Astoria to do things with them, Lacey was spending increasing amounts of time with the Slytherin Quidditch team, Rose was becoming more obscurely sly over the weirdest things, Bethan was – actually, Bethan was still quiet, and all the teachers were frantic about the Heirs stagnant activity (except maybe Binns, but Astoria wasn't so sure if anything could rattle his ghostly being). She was thankful for Blaise for the first time in her life, he still pried, sneaked and attacked like usual. Apparently not even the ravenous monster of Slytherin could disturb his own private agenda. "Have you got a Valentine?" Rose asked casually, arching her back to make it crack.

"Erm, I'm assuming my betrothed will more than likely be my default." Astoria answered with a slight shrug. "What about you?" She asked conversationally, putting on an attempt at a friendly smile. "Have you got one?"

"Oh, no." Rose declined immediately. "How could I even compare? If anyone is to receive one of Lockhart's stupid Valentines in our group it'll more than likely be _you_." Astoria's eyebrows creased doubtfully. "I'm serious!" Rose squawked. "You think just because you're engaged to be married that no other boys will take an interest in you. You're bloody _gorgeous_ , Astoria! I've heard third years speak of you in a crude manner!"

"Well, they're pigs." Astoria sniffed indignantly. She looked about the room awkwardly, wondering if maybe, _perhaps_ she should say something nice back. "You're pretty too." She muttered, dragging her eyes back to her book and staring harshly at the words.

"Boys don't think so."

Astoria rolled her eyes. "Rose, you're twelve years old. You have plenty of time before you need to validate yourself over the worthless opinions of _boys_." She pressed her pointer finger and thumb to her tongue and flipped the page pointedly. Rose harrumphed and twisted around in her bed, laying on her front and turning her head to look at Astoria. "Do what I can't. Identify yourself as Rose bloody Rosier and not Rose Rosier, the next wife and heir supplier of the Mal –the family you'll marry into." If Rose noticed Astoria's slip up, she didn't say anything. Astoria placed a marker in her book and set it on the ground. "I'm going to bed." She announced, blowing out the candle on her bedside table.

"Astoria, it's only eight."

"I wanna get breakfast early so I don't have to witness any horrific love poems before my toast has had the chance to settle."

"Oh." Rose muttered. "Would you like me to sleep early too so we can eat together?"

"Do what you like, Rose." Astoria huffed heavily, drawing the drapes around her bed shut and sighing softly when she was engulfed with near darkness.

"Because I'll join you if you want."

"I really couldn't care what you do." Astoria muttered. "It doesn't affect me majorly. I don't mind being alone."

Rose hummed softly as Astoria tucked the covers up to her chin and closed her eyes. "I think I'll join you." Astoria muttered her acceptance. "Would you like me to ask Lace and Beth when they come back from the library?" Astoria frowned. _Lace and Beth_? Since when had they been calling them two _that_?

"Whatever, I don't particularly mind."

"I think I will." Rose decided cheerily. "That way we can all avoid the twins as well as the telegrams Lockhart is sending out."

"Brilliant." Astoria murmured, digging her face further into her pillow. She began to briefly wonder if she were to bury her head in far enough Rose's chatting would cease to exist.

"Do you think anyone will actually send out a valentine via Lockhart's –"

"Rose." Astoria snapped, surprisingly herself momentarily at the harshness in her tone. "Sleep requires silence. Shut up." Rose didn't say anything after that.

/ / /

Astoria glowered around the Great Hall the next day at lunch. So far, she had received a disgusting number of four singing cars from Lockhart's little dwarfs. She was thoroughly repulsed, that much was for sure. Daphne had claimed it to be sweet that so many people had little tiny people crushes on her tiny little sister. Astoria hexed Daphne's legs so one was seven inches shorter than the other, it gave her great amusement to watched her older sibling hobble down the corridor, huffing and growling at any student who dared to snicker.

She cornered Draco after her sixth singing monstrosity that she had received just before dinner and demanded to know if it was him. He sneered and said he saw no reason to play into the hands of Gilderoy Lockhart and anyway, he could express himself far better than a terribly written poem.

His statement was proven when she walked into her dorm after dinner to find a large bouquet of various spring flowers and a large square shaped box of chocolates with a note attached that claimed ' _because heart shapes are over-done and, quite frankly, disgusting. Draco x'_. The single kiss had stunned her quite a bit, but when she turned the label over, all faith was restored. _'Don't let your sister catch you eating these, you know she doesn't want you turning into a ball of lard. Remember Halloween, Greengrass._ ' She had picked up a strawberry chocolate, marched down the dormitory stairs and smushed it into his mouth, growling into his ear that he should just forget about what he seen at Halloween all together.

Draco narrowed his eyes almost lazily and swallowed the chocolaty goodness, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Abuse me all you like, Azzy." Astoria chortled out the word 'abuse' and stuck out her bare foot at his chest. "Won't change the fact that you've got a little admirer. Quite a persistent one, isn't he?"

"Hmm, most definitely." Astoria muttered drily. "But I know who it is and we're going to run off and get married. We're awfully happy together, you see, and it's a bonus that he isn't a pompous _degenerate_ like my former fiancé." She gave his chest of particularly hard shove with her foot and grinned cheekily.

Nicolai's eyes widened from his spot in the corner of the Common Room, coincidentally only a few feet from the betrothed couple. His heart stuttered and his hands clenched nervously at his sides as he tried to make eye contact with Astoria. It didn't work, and he wasn't so sure if he was relived or disheartened by that matter. Did she really know? Did she enjoy her valentines? He sat a little straighter and cleared his throat, hoping to grab her attention. They were to be married, she had said so herself. His stomach bubbled nervously. _Astoria wanted to marry him_. He tugged at his collar and concealed a grin into his wrist. She must have enjoyed them. He internally cursed at her little group of friends who seemed to insist on gathering round her at all times. It made it impossible for him to see her reactions. Oh, how she must have smiled. His eyes darted around the room briefly looking for Astoria's dismembered tail. They were on the couch, sprawled closely together ogling at a glossy paged magazine.

His heart jumped. Perhaps he should approach her?

As he stood to speak, take her away from her former betrothed and into his arms, the arms of her new husband, the other Greengrass (the one he never bothered to learn the name of, she was to be married into that crazy Nott family, she would be worthless before she even became twenty) clutched at his Astoria's shoulder and hissed lowly into her ear. His stomach soared with anger as Astoria scoffed and looked a decent shade of angry herself.

Yes, he mused internally, the older Greengrass would be the second to go when she bore his family's ring on his finger. Right after Malfoy. Right before her other dorm occupants.

He nodded to himself, happy with that decision and took back his seat, skimming his fingers over his potions text book. "You alright, Avery?"

Nicolai jerked his head upwards and smiled easily. "Of course, mate. Things can only go onwards and upwards, right?"

/ / /

April thirteenth came sooner than anyone would have liked. Safiya scowled over her morning paper as she listened to Astoria and Daphne bicker over dress colours and Blaise held his head in his hands, muttering furiously about this so called 'injustice' that had befallen him (which was really just being forced to attend a party at Malfoy Manor held in his youngest sisters name, but apparently having to see the Malfoy Heir on a day that wasn't necessary was gruelling torture).

At Malfoy Manor, Draco grouched petulantly on the sofa and his mother eyes him with wavering worry. "I just don't know why you're so excited to have a bunch of twelve year old girls running amok. And I don't know why _I_ have to attend, either."

Lucius cast his only child a sharp look. "Astoria is to be your wife. If you do not take interest in her now, how do you ever expect yourself to do so? Your life will be miserable and the both of you will loathe each other. If that is the life you wish to lead, my son, a life where the very person you are to be tied to for the rest of your natural life can't stand you then you are _very_ welcomed to make yourself comfortable in your room until the guests leave." Lucius arched a brow and his lips curled upwards when Draco huffed and made no effort to move. "Besides," he mumbled, brushing his hand through the air "with who she's being raised by, the woman who kills her husbands for a hobby when she grows tired of them, you really ought to watch your back. For your own sake."

"Lucius!"

"Don't play coy, Cissa, we all know what Safiya Ezeo gets up to in her own time." Lucius reclined almost smugly back into his chair. "You're just in denial because you two used to be friends."

"We're _still_ friends, Lucius." Narcissa insister with the stern nodding of her head. Her husband had the audacity to snort.

"No you're not." Lucius said lowly, baring a pretentious smirk. "Your little cult doesn't allow you to have such things below you such as _friends_."

"It. Is. Not. A _cult_." Narcissa hissed lowly, drawing in a patient breath. "Please, do your best to get that right."

"Not a cult, you say?" Lucius wondered aloud with a rather smug grin. "Let us see, shall we? You have a very strict set of rules." He held up his pointer finger and cocked an eyebrow when Narcissa let out a withered sigh. "You have a leader." Another finger went up and he gestured vaguely to his wife. "What you say goes." There went a third finger. "Only specific people are allowed access." Finger four. "They all scramble to appease you." Every finger on his right hand stood and he waggled them closer to his wife's face. Narcissa smiled tightly and Lucius was reminded again why his wife was featured in at least one big-named magazine per week – she was positively stunning.

"Perhaps I should invite Safiya over early." Narcissa pondered to herself, her seemingly off-topic statement becoming blatantly clear with intent when she turned to Lucius with a near psychotic smile. "She can give me tips on how to murder infuriating husbands and get away with it." With that, Narcissa floating seamlessly out from the room and the small, nearly inaudible taps of her heels on the hard, wooden flooring echoed softly through the halls.

"I won that one, right?" Lucius asked, tone bored and eyes trained on the spot where his wife had vacated only moments ago.

"Definitely not." Draco replied with the slight roll of his eyes, seemingly ever so slightly aggravated by his father's suggestion that he had a mere spot of luck at winning a quarrel with Narcissa Malfoy. "She threatened to murder you. All you did was call EPW a cult. I'd hardly say that the two are on similar pillars."

Lucius exhaled harshly through his nose and his brows pinched together. "What would you know?" He asked sourly, his face creasing together more vividly when his son shrugged carelessly. "You're only twelve. I'd hardly say you're even adept at judging these matters." The little bastard had the audacity to smile tightly. "Go – Go change or something. Astoria will be here and I don't want to pitch you off as some sort of slacker." Draco decided not to mention that actually, he was already dressed in some of his best clothes hand-picked by his mother. Instead, he let Lucius think he had won whatever had just went down between the two of them by following in his mother's footsteps and leaving the room.

/ / /

Astoria was touched to the highest order at the set-up of Malfoy Manor. It look gorgeous – possibly something to rival its Christmas decorations that it had dawned not even three months ago. "I was wanting to have streamers suspended from the ceiling," Narcissa said, tone not quite apologetic, but Astoria guessed that had apologies not been deemed below her, she would be for sure "but the ceiling is too high for them to be considered worth it."

"It's gorgeous." Astoria muttered softly, eyes darting frantically around each wall and surface. She wasn't lying – _definitely_ not – every ingle inch of the manor was elegant and completely alluring. "Really, Narcissa, this is absolutely – this is the Greengrass Crest, isn't it?" She asked abruptly, cutting off her own sentence. Two tapestries hung from the ceiling side-by-side and fell to the ground marvellously, one baring a crest she had seen embroidered on some articles of clothing Draco had sported on engraved on the silver cutlery used at mealtimes. The other she had only seen in Greece. It had two thin, pasty white hands that seemed to be cupping an invisible face (' _the face of all her children and grandchildren to come_ ' Hyperion would say wistfully with his grandchildren at his feet, a large sheet with the Crest on front blocking the bright sun from their faces), a luminous green bolt sprung from the small crevasse the hands created (' _it shows we are as lethal as they come._ ' Uncle Halcyon would grunt with a roguish grin. Hyperion would bat his son over the head and glower ' _Don't listen to him._ ' Hyperion would mutter with a disapproving frown ' _it's the trademark for our striking eyes, not the killing curse. No set of genetics from our outsiders brought in could rival our strong will power for having the same eyes.'_ His grandchildren would all beam and look around at each other, green eyes meeting green eyes alike) and feint, blue sparkles dotted around the remaining of the crest that would bordered with brass looking geometric lines ( _'Brass is strong, and so is our magic. Not a squib or impurity in dozens of centuries. Best magic around.'_ Hyperion would say proudly and Uncle Halcyon would grunt out his agreement and tip up his tumbler of Firewhiskey).

"Indeed." Narcissa clarified with a tight not and small smile. "I had your Grandfather Hyperion send one over. I wanted to display it next to the Malfoy crest – to signify the unity of our two families."

Astoria grinned and walked closer, tracing her fingers over the material. "I haven't seen my Crest in almost a year. Uncle Halcyon banished all traces of it from our estate after Father passed. Said we had no deal in having such a wonderful and becoming label if we had no proper man to honour it in our household. Grandfather attempted to hold Uncle back, but when Uncle Halcyon wants something he knows how to get it. Grandfather stood back in the end when Halcyon threatened to burn the Estate to the ground. Just like he did with all our other properties became we failed to concede to his wishes." Astoria turned her head and returned Narcissa's soft smile. "We used to have nine properties in England alone – did you know? Now we only have one because Halcyon is a bit mad. But he likes it that way, I suspect."

"Who likes being mad?" Daphne asked in a quiet voice, eyes blown wide as she soaked in every detail of the Crest.

"Uncle Halcyon, of course." Astoria answered, placing her hand on her older sister's elbow as she approached. Daphne inhaled sharply.

"You mustn't spread family business, Astoria." Daphne scolded with hard eyes and an unforgiving tone. Astoria burned red and looked to the ground.

"It's quite alright." Narcissa said softly. "I won't tell a single soul – I promise." Daphne studied Narcissa face for a few, short seconds before she nodded with a bright smile on her face. "I reached out with invitations to your family in Greece, Astoria."

"They probably won't attend." Astoria said with a bashful smile. "Grandfather doesn't like England all that much. Something about the air."

"Auntie Indira and Auntie Lorelei might attend, Ria." Daphne claimed boldly with an affirmative nod. "They think Grandfather's silly and they happen to merely tolerate the air here." Narcissa frowned slightly, trying to conjure up a reason on why the air would be anything less than likeable than it is in Greece.

"I did get an RSVP from your Auntie's, actually." Narcissa picked at a loose thread from the Malfoy Crest and flicked it to the ground. "They said they'd be delighted to represent the Greengrass's that couldn't attend."

Astoria blinked a few times with shock. "Wow." She mouthed. "This is – This is more than I could ever ask for. Thank you so much, Narcissa."

Narcissa gleamed and brushed off her thanks. "It's really no problem. You two are family now." Daphne blushed lightly and Astoria simply grinned.

/ / /

Indira and Lorelei Greengrass just confirm that Astoria and Daphne were going to grow up to be completely and utterly beautiful. Bewilderingly so. Both of the sisters and long, wavy dark brown hair and identical green eyes (exactly like the two other Greengrass girls) and their smiles could light up a dark room. Not a single thing was out of place about them and their skin was tanned wonderfully and seemed to radiate a glow about it. They made the majority around them feel inferior and spoke to only a handful of people. Narcissa counted herself absurdly lucky to be brought into that handful. Indira and Lorelei spoke to only their nieces, Safiya, Blaise, Narcissa, Draco and Lucius – they acted as though the rest of the guests (and my, there were many) were nothing but servants. Narcissa kind of adored them.

"Astoria mentioned something about the rest of your family not enjoying the air in England." She said conversationally. The two sisters looked at each other and trilled out melodic laughs.

"She's too adorable for her own good, our niece." Lorelei sighed with a large, stunning grin. "Of course, Narcissa, there is nothing wrong with England's air." She pursed her lips and hung her head to the side. "Well, as far as it goes, London is a little… _stuffy_ with fumes and smoke, but that's besides the point. Catch our brother Halcyon on a bad day – and that _really_ isn't hard to do – and you'll find that our gardens are exactly the same." The two sisters laughed and Narcissa found herself doing them same subconsciously. "No, no. What we mean by the air is that blasted _cow_ Violeta Mathieson."

Indira snorted cruelly and shook her head. "Don't know _what_ Harrison saw in that wretched woman. Of course, we couldn't say anything about it. Oh, no, Harrison was _ever_ so defensive about that little good for nothing carpet piece. Even _after_ she abandoned him with just a breath of the sentence that she was with child. Harrison – bless his soul – was beside himself with grief and still managed to give Halcyon a ruddy good hex in between his panicked sobs."

Lorelei hummed her agreement. "Halcyon's left leg is still slightly shorter than his left." She sighed wistfully.

"And we can never bad mouth Violeta around either of the girls. They put up a good show, they do, but at the end of the day Violeta is and always will be their mother."

"She didn't even bid Astoria farewell on the day she departed to Hogwarts." Narcissa piped in morosely, glowering down at her cup.

"Terrible woman." The two sisters grumbled in unison. "Only ever did three great things in her life, I'll tell you that much." Lorelei continued, taking a sip of her champagne and pursing her lips approvingly at the taste.

"Joining forces with the Dark Lord, Daphne, and Astoria." Indira adapted. "The only good she's ever done and the only good she ever will do." Indira drained the last of her glass and pitched it off on a golden platter that was being carried around by house elves. "And don't get me _started_ on the misfortune she placed on our little Astoria."

"Misfortune?" Narcissa questioned curiously. Out of the time she had shared with Astoria, there seemed to be nothing misfortunate about her. She was undoubtedly the most gorgeous eleven – now twelve – year old that she had ever laid eyes upon, to say that she was curious about the world and learning would be a vast understatement, her mannerisms were spectacular, she was by no means shy but definitely not too brazen, her background and heritage was on par with the Black's and the Malfoy's, and the list goes on and on.

Lorelei let out a sneering shriek and nodded her head wildly. "Every Greengrass member is named after a Greek God or Goddess. In fact, we've become so with the times that it doesn't even need to be from Greek descent. Just a God or the likes. Astoria is no Goddess – _Asteria_ , however!"

"My sister is under the impression that Violeta did it purposefully." Indira commented with a lazy smirk. Although, Narcissa wasn't quite sure if anything could be lazy about them. "I have made my views on that women perfectly clear, but I do think she was honest to Merlin trying."

"Rubbish!" Lorelei spat passionately. "It was all out of spite!"

"If I were sweet, precious Violeta and I wanted to spite one of the most powerful wizarding families in Europe I would call my daughter something like… like Chloe. Or Hattie. Not Astoria when it is so close to –"

"To the _actual_ spelling?" Lorelei rolled her eyes so fiercely that Narcissa panicked briefly that they were about to fall from her sockets. "That is the perfect way to spite someone." She muttered with an airy laugh. "She shoved Astoria into a hole with _that_ decision. Ajax – our nephew, Narcissa, Halcyon's son, an absolute _terror_ – lives and breathes to remind sweet Astoria of her mother's _mistake_. Called his owl Asterius because he _always_ thought Asteria was a lovely name." The two sisters rolled their eyes in unison and let out simultaneous huffs.

"I feel sorry for Jax, I do." Indira murmured, clasping her hands together and declining a second flute of champagne offered to her. "I find myself wondering how he would have been if Halcyon just _left him alone_. That, would he be any kinder if he was my own son? Or Lorelei's? Or Harrison's?"

"Of course he would be." Lorelei huffed with the shake of her head. "Even with Harrison, he would be a completely different person altogether. Blaise is an _excellent_ boy, Safiya would have made sure that he was kept in line."

"It's a case of youngest child syndrome, you see." Indira said with the curl of her lips. "Halcyon was the youngest and doted upon by mother. Nothing he ever did was terrible in her eyes. Got away with murder – _quite literally_. Harrison, on the other hand, got into a little… _fight_ with a boy in his year at Durmstrang and got _Hell_ for it from mother."

"That's how he met Lucius, you know." Lorelei smiled. Narcissa's brows raised. No, she did not know. She never got a proper answer on how the two men met, usually the stories would involve dragons and damsels in distress or something as simple as Harrison thought Lucius' hair looked incredibly ravishing in the lighting of a run-down pub and he just _had_ to speak with such an exquisite human specimen. "Mother was absolutely _furious_ that her precious Hyperion's Heir would dare lift a wand at another respectable man."

"She shipped him off to a series of classes held over in Wales. Disciplinary classes." Narcissa fought hard to supress a surprised laugh. "They both bonded over their distaste for the Welsh and the Welsh country and in every letter our brother wrote there would be inches upon inches of stories of his time with your husband."

"I thought that there was only so little time until he started signing his letters off with Harrison Malfoy, he was so smitten." Lorelei grinned fondly.

"But then, of course, he met Violeta." Indira ground out

"And then everything went to pot." Lorelei chirped.

"Astoria, darling!" Indira called out softly and even in her soft tone her niece stopped dead in her tracks at the lulling whisper. "Come stand with the big girls." Indira reached out her hand and fluttered her fingers.

It was a surprise that Astoria's cheeks didn't split, her grin turned so wide and genuine. She gripped onto her aunts' hand tightly and pressed it against her throat, nuzzling her head into the elbow of Indira's arm. "You're looking very nice today, dear Astoria." Indira cooed and Narcissa was positive that the two older Greengrass women were just hallucinations. Beautiful, smart, kind, generous, charming, witty _and_ excellent with children? All of that rolled into two humans? Near impossible, she was sure. Astoria chirped her thanks and twisted the fabric of the skirt of her dress around in her free hand, crumpling and uncrumpling the fabric.

"Has your mother arrived?" Lorelei inquired with a seemingly kind and pretty smile, but Narcissa could hear the hint of knowing and venom behind her words.

"No, but I really don't suspect that she'll be coming, anyway." Astoria stopped fiddling with her dress and released her aunt's hand and straightened. "Daphne thinks she has grown bored of us. That we're no longer new and shiny – that she's found other toys to busy herself with." Narcissa thought that Daphne was incredibly wise beyond her years.

Indira frowned intensely and Lorelei smiled softly. "Don't listen to your sister, Astoria." Lorelei soothed with the wave of her hand. "She's a teenager now – you know how grumpy they are, you've been around your cousins." This, absurdly, seemed to smooth over the tiniest little flake of worry Astoria dawned on her face.

She let out a small gasp and her eyes flared open with remembrance. "Have you seen the Crest?" She asked with such vast excitement that only a child could possess. Indira's eyes flickered upwards to the two family Crest's that hung by each other with a small smile. It would be incredibly hard to miss. "Narcissa got Grandfather to send them over – isn't that _wonderful_?"

"Really wonderful." Lorelei agreed, smiling thankfully over at Narcissa who – against her will – blushed slightly at such unexpected gratification.

"I think Grandfather may even let Safiya keep it." Indira said with a nonchalant shrug but her wonderful green eyes sparkled with knowing. "You can hang it in the entrance to your home, won't that be great?" Indira crouched down to Astoria's level, captured the young girls hands with her own and murmured a string over words in Greek that made the flare of honest-to-God fear on Astoria's face vanish completely.

Standing over by the entrance, Safiya hovered awkwardly between her two older children and Lucius Malfoy. The latter, being a smug, smarmy fool, stood straighter and let a smirk dawn his features and insisted on casting Safiya a glance every few minutes, knowing perfectly well what she was contemplating. With a frustrated sigh, she scooped her hair over her back and walked with purpose. "Oi, Malfoy." She ground out through her teeth. Lucius feigned surprise and contoured his ridiculous face into a pleased smile.

"Safiya! How are you? Such a lovely event, isn't it?"

"Cut the crap, you know why I'm here."

"Straight to the point, huh, Ezeo?" Lucius ran his tongue over his lips as they flickered up into a smirk. Safiya wanted nothing more than to reach into his mouth and cut it out. "Well, if that's what you're into, I guess –"

"I'm assuming Narcissa told you about my… _predicament_ , shall we call it, that I encountered at Christmas?" Safiya glared venomously at any person who looked like they wished to approach and join the positively _riveting_ conversation.

"You encountered a so-called predicament over the Christmas period?" Lucius rephrased with a forced, tight frown. "Narcissa never breathed a word to me." Of course Narcissa breathed a word to him, but Lucius was a wonderful husband (that, he enjoyed priding himself on) and he wouldn't want his lovely wife to be shoved into the wrath of Safiya Ezeo at his hand. Safiya studied him for a few seconds and hummed lowly to herself, apparently content with his answer.

"I received a letter on Christmas day from –" her eyes darted about skittishly "from _you know who_."

"I believe I do, yes."

"It was beautifully written." Lucius waited a few seconds for Safiya to adapt on her statement but apparently she was done.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Safiya repeated with a scowl. "I tell you something like that and all you can reply with is _okay_?"

Lucius let out an impatient huff. "Are you under the impression that you gave me enough to say anymore?"

"The Dark Lord. I – Forget it, actually." Safiya flattened hand hands over her stomach and pinched her eyes closed. "You wouldn't help me even if you knew." She attempted to walk away with what was left of her dignity but was stopped quickly, Lucius' cold hand jerking forwards and grabbing at her elbow tightly.

"You really think that you could say _His_ name and just walk away?" He asked lowly, an unsettling snarl lingering in his tone. "It's rude to walk out on a conversation early, Safiya." She twisted her head around and narrowed her eyes at his leering grin. "Usually I would just brush off behaviour like that because I am a _terribly_ kind and compassionate man, but you just happened to have spiked my interest."

"I'll scream bloody murder if you don't unhand me and let me walk away. You know I will."

Lucius rolled his eyes and loosened his grip. "I just want to chat, Safiya. We used to be such _wonderful_ friends back in the day. What happened to us?"

Safiya let out an airy laugh and shook her head. "I disliked you with a passion and you I." She tugged her arm free from his hand and pulled back her shoulders. "We barely even passed civil standards. The only reason why the rooms we stood in together didn't crumble around us was because of one common alliance and friendship – Narcissa." She let a nasty smirk curl at her lips and she leaned closer. "And eventually, much to your distaste, Harrison. If you so much as laid a wand on me you would have had two of the most important people in the world to you on my side."

"Harrison's not here. Narcissa will forgive me eventually. What's stopping us now, darling?"

Safiya scoffed. "You would be beside yourself with angst and longing if you weren't in Cissa's good books and you know it. But now – and I can see it, Lucy, crystal clear – now there's a new player in our out of commission game." Safiya looked into the crowd and located her youngest instantly and Lucius followed her gaze with a scowl. "My little Ria certainly made _quite_ the impression on Narcissa. Did you know they write each other weekly?" Safiya reached back with her hand and gave his cane a condescending pat. "If you were to hex me just like you long to, my dearest daughter would ensure that her arrangement with your son would be well and truly over. I am unsure as to why, but our little Cissa's heart is desperately involved with uniting our respective sides – if you were to restart our game, Lucy, her heart would break into smithereens." Safiya turned and outright laughed in his face. "And you've got shit on me, so I guess I win." She gave his a dazzling smile and took a step back. "I don't want your help. Not anymore. In fact, our little conversation has pointed me in the right direction, so for that I thank you." She reached up and smoothed down his collar. "I'll see you for breakfast on Sunday?" And with that, Safiya walked off with all of her questions unanswered and her dignity in tattles.

/ / /

Violeta stumbled into Malfoy Manor eventually, frowning with displeasure when she wasn't greeted with swarms of elves and was, in fact, over looked by every single guest. Her frown deepened and she refrained the urge to stomp her feet moodily. She was the birthday girls' _mother_ , for Heaven's sake! She was the entire reason this party was even being held. She sniffed the air defiantly and stepped further into the room, struggling to manoeuvre herself in between the gaggles of people. A slight confusion washed over her as she struggled to comprehend why on earth so many people would be attending a twelve year old girls' party but just as quick as it came, the confusion was gone as she was reminded by the two dazzling Crests hanging from the high ceiling exactly _whose_ home this was: The Malfoy's.

She pitied her daughter briefly, the poor soul must think that everyone is in attendance for her and not the great Narcissa Malfoy. Or possibly Lucius scared the guests into attending. The corners of Violeta's mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly.

An uprising of feminine laughs stirred her and brought a grimace to her face. She could recognise those perky, undeniably _fake_ laughed anywhere – a statement of the Greengrass Sisters.

There they stood, disgustingly pert as ever under their Crest with _her_ daughter between them, laughing and giggling along with the Mistress of the house. It made Violeta sick to her stomach – if only Astoria knew, if only _Narcissa_ knew the true nature of those – those – _those bitches!_

"Astoria!" She called out, suddenly desperate to keep her daughter's mind and innocence intact. There was absolutely no doubt in Violeta's mind that Indira and Lorelei Greengrass would corrupt that poor little girls mind, make her see things that weren't true. Scare her out of her wits. No, no, no, those two women were complete and utter vultures. Poison little Azzy's mind with complete and utter nonsense just because they didn't like the fact that the Mathieson's managed to boot out the Greengrass family from the European Pureblood Hierarchy – it served them right, too! Corrupt, the whole lot! That psychotic brother thinking he can have his way with anything and anyone! Harrison was the only good one, the only sane and complete wizard in that entire family. That was why she had to leave him, that was why she had to abandon their family but no, no his line of sight was clouded. Completely and utterly clouded by that unholy family of his. They would never allow him to understand! Violeta was only trying to preserve what was good of –

" _Mother?_ " Astoria's mouth ran completely dry within her mouth. Violeta stood a good few feet away, completely unashamed and grinning like she hadn't just ignored her daughters for the better part of three quarters of a year.

She looked okay-ish. She was put together, at least. Her hair was brushed, she wore robes that weren't too brazen, there was a fortunate lack of feathers around her neck, she wore a fresh coat of make-up, she didn't appear to be sky-high sloshed – she looked _alright_.

Of course, she would look far better if it weren't for that completely obvious bump at her stomach.

Astoria's legs felt like jelly and her head spun wildly. Neither mother nor daughter made a move to get closer to the other. Daphne, on the other hand, was intrigued by the sudden static silence and stepped to the inner ring of the crowd. "No way!" She squealed with a large, over excited smile. "Mother are you –"

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Violeta said softly and her eyes narrowed slightly at the wand drawn by Lorelei. "A – A birthday present, if you will. For my two little princesses." She looked upwards from the drawn wand and smiled at Astoria. Daphne rushed forwards, apparently having forgotten all about the heart ache she had suffered through at her mothers' expense, and pressed her hands gingerly over the circular obstruction. "You're – are you really –"

"Yes, my love." Violeta cooed, lifting her hand and caressing the side of Daphne's face. "I'm with child."

Safiya winced harshly and sunk her teeth into her lower lip anxiously, studying Astoria's face. It wavered somewhere between intense disappointment and a vast amount of fury. She prayed that neither would win. That she would remember her etiquette. That a lady should never cause a scene.

Astoria smiled brightly. "I am thrilled."

Draco sneered and thought she resembled as shark with so much of her teeth on show. She was lying, undoubtedly, because Astoria was an over-excitable child and when truly 'thrilled' she could barely get the words out and would resort to a series of girly squeals. Not that he had noticed, or anything.

Narcissa gripped onto Safiya's hand tightly. For Saf's own protection, she thought fiercely, although she was trembling more than Astoria's step-mother.

Indira tugged her sisters wand from her hand and stored it away, fisting her hand into the back of Lorelei's dress to restrict her from pouncing.

Lucius wanted to laugh merrily.

Blaise did laugh, right into his cup of pumpkin juice.

"I – wow, I can't believe – I'm going to be a big sister again!" Daphne sauntered to Astoria and gripped her tightly in a hug. Much needed, of course, but not out of gratefulness or pure glee, out of sadness, out of grief, out of the fact that her mother seemed incredibly happy to be baring a child. Out of the fact that Violeta seemingly couldn't wait to get Astoria out of her and give her to a family that didn't include her and yet this child, this _unborn seed_ brought Violeta genuine happiness that Astoria had never seen on her mother before.

She fought hard to compose herself when Daphne released her. She forced herself to step towards her mother and grin falsely again. Hoped that the tears gathering in her eyes would spill because she could pass welling up as happiness, but an incessant trail of fat, ugly, salty tears could only be claimed by sadness and sadness alone. Happiness would never was something so ugly.

"Congratulations." Astoria muttered, quickly hurling herself into her mother's chest and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Violeta, why don't you take a seat?" Narcissa suggested calmly, stepping closer towards them. "It isn't good for you to be on your feet. You look far along – perhaps seven months?" Violeta nodded slowly, her gut wringing with suspicion at the Superintendent's kindness. "Sit, please, I'll have some elves bring you water." Violeta rubbed her hand down Astoria's back once before accepting the offer and gliding down the people-made path to the assortment of seats laid out. Daphne followed quickly after her, babbling about baby names rapidly.

"We better be going." Indira announced stiffly, giving Lorelei a firm tug as she made another move to pounce on the retreating woman's back.

"No!" Astoria exclaimed, whirling around and staring at her aunts with wide, pleading eyes. "You – You can't go! Not just now, _please_ Auntie, stay a while –"

"We've got a Port Key to get to, Astoria, but we'll see you in the Summer, yes?"

Safiya bristled and snatched her hand from Narcissa's, quickly making a move to loop an arm around her youngest child's shoulders. "Why don't we show Auntie Indira and Auntie Lorelei to the door, hm?" She asked with an overly bright and enthusiastic smile. Astoria frowned and looked ready to protest, quickly coming to a halt upon noticing the tightness and fakeness of Safiya's exterior. She conjured her own smile and her expression read of one that spoke volumes. _I understand what is required of me._ Astoria nodded. "I would be delighted."

/ / /

Astoria's smile never left her face for the rest of the evening, even after the last of the guests cleared out. Violeta left half an hour after her arrival, apparently pregnancy was incredibly draining, but it was good to see you, Astoria, sweetheart, I'll see you at the station, shall I? Astoria wasn't going to hold her breath on that one, that was for certain.

"Ria?" Safiya uttered, her voice barely a whisper as Astoria fiddled with her ring on her left hand, twisting it around her finger with the same, tight and porcelain grin. "Are you alright?"

Astoria looked up, her smile not cracking and her eyes twinkled grimly with unshed tears that she had latched onto all evening. "I am perfectly fine, Safiya, why do you ask?" Safiya frowned intensely, her brows furrowed together and her mouth pinched downwards.

"Oh, seriously, Saf, Astoria's only excited!" Daphne exclaimed with her own large grin, only she looked to be far more sincere than her younger sibling. "Who _doesn't_ want to be an older sibling?" Together, Draco and Blaise grimaced and rolled their eyes. "I'll teach you all the secrets, Ria!" Astoria's smiled started to turn into more of a snarl.

"Blaise, why don't you and Daphne go and… and help the house elves clear up?" Safiya suggested, scowling at her own pathetic excuse. Blaise lifted his hands and felt around the top of his head, patting at his skull almost curiously. "I – I haven't got _elf ears_ , do I mother?" He questioned with the raising of his brows. "Because I swear I just hear you tell me to carry out a job for vermin only?"

Safiya resented having a son with such a sharp tongue. Clearly, she had been to light on him. "What was that you said, son? Because, for a small second, it sounded as if you were _back chatting_ me, but I know my own flesh and blood would know never to try such… such _negligence_ around his dear mother, yes?" Perhaps not too light, she mused as Blaise stood down from his high and mighty podium and grasped Daphne's wrist, yanking her down the hall.

"You should join them, Draco." Narcissa suggested, her tone light and airy but her eyes were hard and unforgiving as they cast upon her only child. Draco swallowed thickly and nodded, obeying his orders silently with a slight, petulant pout. "You should supervise the children, Lucius."

"They're big kids, now, Cissa, I'm sure they can –" Narcissa was sure they could _not_. Her tone suggested pleasantries such as ice cream, forehead kisses and loving words but her smile suggested death, dishonour and a lifetime of wrath. Lucius drew out a shallow breath and hoped to the high heavens that Astoria Greengrass would be worth it in the end, because being sent to the _kitchen_ with children barely out of their preteen years was incredibly embarrassing. Devastatingly so. "Whatever you say, dear." Lucius grumbled, forcing himself down the hall into the direction he assumed the kitchen would be. He wouldn't know, he had never been.

Even as the onlookers left and all that remained was Narcissa and Safiya, Astoria's smile was still moulded onto her face. Safiya was sure that perhaps Violeta had broken the girl, that this was it, this would be the Astoria that she would have to raise from now on – but then she opened her mouth and spoke in a devastating tone. "What has an unborn child got that I haven't?" She pondered with the slight tip of her head. "I sleep through the night. I am toilet trained. I speak. I walk. I run. I have teeth. I have hair. I very seldom cry. I do not require to be coddled. All I really need is a roof over my head." Finally, the smile that had turned slightly morbid over the hours slipped from her pale face. She opened her mouth again and spoke in a barely audible whisper. "Why does she love this child more than she has ever done me?"

Narcissa and Safiya stayed silent, not totally sure that they were capable of handling a situation of this genre, both of the woman only ever actually having birthed a single child. There was never a need for the condescending chat of _mummy still loves you, she just loves your baby sibling just the same_. Safiya wasn't so sure that even _Violeta_ knew how to have that conversation. Narcissa knew for a fact that there was never a need for it. Over the next half a minute, both women would open their mouths, words stuck at the tip of their tongues but failing to tumble out. There was no words on the earth's surface that could even attempt to tame and wrangle Astoria's spoken and unspoken worries and problems regarding her mother's new found… stomach infection. A simple _your mother still loves you_ wouldn't cut it; Violeta had been the best at neglect since September past and even before then large displays of her love for her children were very slim and would occur possibly once every few years _if_ at all lucky.

"But it doesn't matter, does it?" Astoria asked, breaking through the silence. "There is no point in protesting or – or wreaking havoc. This baby will come into the earth. This baby is my blood and I am tied to it whether I like it or not." Astoria sucked in a short breath and released it soon after. "Violeta Greengrass is a terrible mother. Merlin save us all, Daphne is the best hope that child has." Astoria drew her shoulders back and marched out into the hallway, following the sound of heavy sighs and regular huffs.

The Malfoy's kitchen was very large, possibly even the size of Astoria's bedroom back at the Estate. Very unnecessary, she thought as she looked around the room, very unnecessary indeed, for a kitchen nonetheless.

Blaise and Daphne didn't hear nor see Astoria enter, too caught up in their own disgust at being made to do such degrading tasks such as chores. Lucius wasn't anywhere to be seen, Astoria guessed that perhaps he stalked up to his study when no three of the children were paying him any attention. Draco had looked up from the sink where he stood, hands braced at the sinks ledge as he pretended to be busy, looking at Astoria with confusion and wonder clear in his pale eyes. She walked over to him silently, looking down at the bubbled water. "You were right." She said quietly.

"I know." He stated. "But I am right quite a lot, you're going to have to be more specific."

"The morning of my departure from Hogwarts at Christmas." Astoria spoke quietly as she dipped a hand into the water, sloshing it about. "Do you remember what you told me?"

"Not really, no." Draco answered with as light frown.

"We were speaking of Violeta." Recognition flared up inside Draco as he recalled the conversation of that particular topic. "You were right." She repeated, green eyes flicking up to meet his. "Fuck her." Astoria withdrew her hand from the water and swiped the dampness over the front of her dress. "Fuck Violeta. Fuck this – this _unborn parasite_. Fuck them." With a look of complete disregard, Astoria retreated from the kitchen and left Draco behind in complete and utter bewilderment.

/ / /

I apologise for the swearing of a newly turned twelve year old girl. While it may seem unnecessary, I feel it to be crucial in the development of Astoria.

I have created a tumblr. Why am I informing all you lovely readers, you may just be wondering? Well, it is my fandom tumblr where I'll be posting short fics and the likes. Oh, and I will also be posting What To Expect posts about this story before the chapter is but a plan upon paper. Also there will be the possibility of sneak peaks. And if you have any questions that you want answered (about this story, any of my others or just a question that has nothing to do with my fics) I will answer them over there! Hoorah!

My URL is greengrarse-estate, so either search that up on Tumblr or just type .com simple as that!


	9. Chapter 9

The Heir had gotten to Penelope Clearwater and Hermione Granger.

All Astoria heard was static as the Slytherin's around her rumbled and raged about the 'needlessly cancelled' Quidditch match. She sat primly on the couch, huddled right into the corner, hoping her exterior was placid. Her hopes must have been true because not a single glance of suspicion was thrown her way. She was snapped out of her own mind when Draco and his two bumbling cronies snickered and howled loudly at that Granger girl's misfortune.

The Heir had gotten to Penelope Clearwater and Hermione Granger.

Her heart contracted. Penelope Clearwater. Astoria had heard that name before. The Clearwater family. Partially Purebloods, she could recall, but not all about The Cause. They called themselves _tolerant._ _Progressive. Futuristic._ Astoria wanted to call them idiots. She couldn't. She wasn't so terrible sure about half-bloods, Daphne's half-blooded friend wasn't gruesome nor was she evil, in fact, Tracey was _nice_. Overly so, but nice nonetheless. And if Daphne was allowed to befriend a person with such a blood status, surely half-bloods weren't _all_ that bad? But if they weren't all monstrous like Mudbloods, then why were the people around her heckling that this filthy half-blood got what was coming to her?

The Heir had gotten to Penelope Clearwater and Hermione Granger.

Her shoulders slumped and a withered sigh escaped from between her slightly parted lips. She had heard plenty about Hermione Granger. Whether it be from Pansy's goading, Draco's incessant whinging, Daphne's privately told envies, Blaise's quiet sneers or Lucius's bizarre motivational rants, Astoria had heard plenty. How she's a know it all goody two shoes; how she's not even _supposed to be here_ yet there she goes, immersing herself in our culture and spreading it to all of her muggle relations like some _barbarian_ ; how her hair may be a little frizzy and her teeth a little over large, but she's so quietly spoken and really rather polite; how, perhaps, she could make us a new set of chairs with her beaver teeth?; how you shouldn't ever let some low-life _scum of earth_ parade all over your status by getting higher marks than you! Okay, maybe not all was totally relevant but _Astoria had heard of her_. She felt more closely connected to her than any of the other victims – that Creevey boy never even dared to look in her direction, she didn't even know his first name, so he didn't count.

The Heir had gotten to Penelope Clearwater and Hermione Granger.

And Astoria didn't know how to feel about it.

/ / /

Hours later, the cushion on the sofa Astoria stayed sat upon, now nosing into a very feminine magazine that had been left on the coffee table, sagged. She turned and gave a tight, and hopefully friendly, smile at the new occupant. Nicolai smiled back silently and leaned over, sneaking a look at the pages and turned back up with raised brows. "Journalism, Nicolai, are you not familiar?" The corners of his mouth twitched and he shook his head.

"Not _that_ kind." He murmured, snatching the glossed pages from her hands easily, eyes darting back and forth rapidly as he skimmed over a selected article. "You girls seriously enjoy reading about worthless peoples lives?" He inquired.

" _Worthless people?_ " Astoria echoed, her jaw slack. "These are members of EPW." As suspected, Nicolai didn't look any less curious. "That's Narcissa Malfoy, she's the sort of – sort of _Leader_ to the most recognised section of the entire EPW community." She brushed her finger over the picture of her soon to be mother-in-law where he long blonde hair wisped softly behind her and her face went from facing forwards in a seamless, soft smile to pointing down. Apparently it had been taken thirteen years prior, judging by the rather obvious baby bump she was sporting. Astoria's chest clenched almost painfully at the thought of her mother but with the slight shake of her head she forced all mother-centric thoughts from her head and read the caption. "Apparently it has been thirteen years to date since she made her last appearance before she gave birth."

"And you care about that _why_?"

"Well, number one she is Superintendent and number two she's gorgeous and highly interesting. I'll be in her position in at _least_ ten years. Being photographed just because I am with child." Astoria frowned intensely and her hand skimmed subconsciously over her stomach. "Make that _fifteen_ years." She sat up straighter and forced a smile. "That's Poppy Darling. Not a darling at all, I don't care what her surname implies. She's a gossip and a mean one at that. Pretty, though, and that's all the reporters _really_ want."

"You'll be in magazines loads, then, because you're _definitely_ the prettiest." Nicolai said boldly, fisting his hands together with sheer nerves. He hoped to the high heavens that Astoria wouldn't laugh at his attempt at that so-called _flirting_.

But Astoria didn't laugh, nor did she smile. Astoria simply shrugged. "I suppose I will, won't I? But I figure that Daph and I will feature equally, she's pretty, just like me. If not prettier."

Nicolai frowned. _That_ certainly wasn't an outcome he had even considered.

"Anyway, that's Emilia Fiddle. She's –"

"You know," Nicolai cut in, curling his toes harshly and his brain chanting at him that really, Astoria had to be put back in her place, women _aren't supposed to be cocky_ , women are supposed to rely upon the approval of men and he'd be _dammed_ if Astoria should outcast herself like that, and so he continued to talk "you're not _that_ pretty."

Astoria let out a small snort. "I think you'll find that I am." And with that, she went back to pointing at the various EPW members and giving a very shocked and slightly disturbed Nicolai Avery little insights on the women that he cared very little about.

/ / /

As the spring months blended in with the summer months, the tension at Hogwarts and piled higher and higher. It was bound to topple over at some point, very tall things often did, Astoria just didn't know _how_. Would the Heir off every last Mudblood? Would he quench the school of all its impurities? Or would the Heir fall at the feet of Albus Dumbledore? Because while he may not be Headmaster anymore, he was still one of the greatest wizards alive and surely if anyone were to banish the Slytherin Heir it would be him? Astoria wasn't sure. But one thing that she was certainly sure of was Pansy Parkinson's not so subtle attempts at getting on her good side. And this, apparently, meant by talking of the one solid thing they had in common.

Draco Malfoy.

"You reside within his manor during the summer holidays, don't you?" Pansy asked with something resembling genuine curiosity but Astoria was certainly positive that nobody on earth would _ever_ be so curious about such… such _bleak_ conversational topics. Perhaps she was mocking her? Astoria narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Every term break, actually. For the final week."

Pansy pursed her lips and nodded thoughtfully. "Would they ever let you invite over any… friends?" She inquired and Astoria frowned. Pansy stared up at Astoria from her position on the ground and smiled slightly.

"I – uh, I don't know. I've, erm, I've never asked."

"Never? Not even for Daph?"

Astoria shrugged helplessly. "My time at the Malfoy's is supposed to be for, uh, something like bonding. My mother said it is so Draco and I can share something of a connection before we, you know, elope."

Her reasoning's didn't appear to make it through Pansy's head. "Well, I understand that, but would you be able to invite someone over for a few hours?"

Astoria sighed heavily and hung her head. The entire conversation was incredibly draining. "I don't know, Pansy."

"Can't you ask the next time you're there?"

Astoria pinched the bridge of her nose. "And who, may I ask, would I be asking to invite over? Who will I be asking Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy to stay for some tea and biscuits?"

"Well, a _friend_ of course!" Pansy sat up on her knees and gleamed out a smile. "We're friends, aren't we, Astoria?"

Astoria blinked once and blinked again. "This – This is the thirds conversation we've had together alone."

Pansy scoffed loudly and waved a dismissive hand through the air. "Pfft! Who's keeping count?"

"Me, clearly." Astoria straightened her back and cracked her knuckles. "I really don't think I know much about you to qualify us as friends."

"Of course you do!" Pansy squawked, completely undignified. "Go on, what's my favourite colour?" Astoria ended up doing a ridiculous impersonation of a fish at the completely bizarre request. "Go on." Pansy prompted and Astoria sighed heavily through her nose.

"I, erm – pink?"

"Yes!" Pansy squealed and started clapping like Astoria has just discovered the meaning of life and how to eradicate all types of evil at the same time. Understanding became something too far from Astoria's grasp, it was _glaringly_ obvious if the pink bow in her hair, the pink hair clip pinning her fringe back, the pink pendant swinging from her neck, the pink gems on her earrings, and the pink shiny shoes she wore on her feet were _anything_ to go by. Astoria just smiled, a little too tightly and it hurts her cheeks after a few seconds but she reckoned that if it would make her look anything other than mildly irritated and extremely bored it would be totally worth it.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Draco, Crabbe and Goyle march into the common room and she jumped up quickly, entirely grateful for Draco and his stupid, pale face and his wonderful distraction. Not that she was looking for one, definitely not, listening to Pansy rattle on about nail varnish colour coordination's to match both pink and Draco's favourite colour (which was, apparently, green, although Astoria could have _sworn_ that it was silver) was incredibly fascinating. Truly. But she was being a good, dutiful fiancée by greeting him enthusiastically and practically begging him under her breath to _save me, Merlin, please_.

"Astoria!" Pansy called from just in front of the sofa. "Come back, I haven't finished telling you about the patterns!" Pansy didn't look even the slightest bit inclined to carry on with their conversation, in fact, she looked entirely too interested in ogling at Astoria's betrothed. Astoria turned to her said betrothed with wide ' _do you see what I mean?_ ' eyes.

"I'm borrowing her for a bit." Draco retaliated because apparently he _did_ see what Astoria meant. "You can resume your quilt chatter tomorrow or something."

"Oh, alright!" Pansy chirped, smiling widely and batting her eyes in a way that she probably meant to be flattering and flirtatious. Instead, she just came across as slightly creepy. Draco's mouth lifted into a slight smile, or, so Astoria thinks it does because it was there for a second and gone the next, leaving behind his emotionless exterior. He didn't give her any longer to internally contemplate his facial expressions as he grabbed at her elbow with feather light fingers and guides her to the opposite side of the common room. "What was _that_ about?"

"A friendship in the making, I'm sure." She muttered dryly, turning her head and wincing when Pansy was staring after them with a rather nauseating wide eyed look of adoration. "I guess I'll be slumming it with you boys for a bit then, won't I?" Astoria asked with a smile in Crabbe and Goyle's direction as she perched herself on top of the arm of the two-seater, sliding gracelessly backwards and landing on her back in a muddle of dress fabric and pillows.

"Hardly slumming it." Draco muttered with a huff as he dragged Astoria's legs off of the sofa and claiming its previously occupied space. "Especially compared to your _last_ time-occupant. Seriously, Astoria, Pansy Parkinson?"

Astoria sat straighter and her eyes bugged out from her head. "Don't you _like_ Pansy, Draco?"

His eyes narrowed with slight suspicion. "I barely know her. Not enough to form opinions, anyway." Astoria wanted to call his bluff, Pansy had made it her duty for Draco to have no other option but to know her and to form opinions of her. Instead she decided to embarrass it out of him, nudging his side with her elbow and leaning in close. "Do you think she's pretty?" Draco said nothing, just rolled his eyes heavily and huffed with an undeniable annoyance. "I get it, I really do, once you're tied to the prettiest – that's me, in case you're wondering – it really is hard to look at any other girl."

"I do think you're pretty. Pretty annoying, now get out my face."

Astoria leaned back with a self-satisfied smile and sighed, tilting her head back and staring up at the ceiling and its intricate detailing. "Hey," she muttered suddenly, turning slightly to look at Draco with creased brows "what's your favourite colour?"

With a blink of confusion, he answered "silver, I guess. Why?"

Astoria grinned and shrugged. "No matter."

/ / /

Exams were mere weeks away and Astoria found herself conflicted. Conflicted over where to spend her time, to be exact, what, with the end of the year exams fast and readily approaching at rather alarming paces or the fact that the remedy to save all of the Heirs victims from their petrification, the screaming and crying Mandrake's, were very nearly ripe and ready to be put to good, lifesaving use. For some reason, along with word of the cure came a weird manifestation of something akin to _hope_ that had birthed its way into Astoria's stomach. For some reason, this cure made her believe that, when the victims were saved and restored, the Heir would just… give up. For some reason, he would see that all of the hard and skilful work he had done over the course of the school year could just be gone with a silly little plant. For some reason, she still had childish, undying hope.

Every fibre in Astoria's being told her that she was being far too optimistic. Blaise told her that too, many times, loudly, often accompanied by manic laughter. Because all that would happen would be that his first handful of victims would rise but his next handful wouldn't be so lucky as to suffer from petrification. It would be a hard and sudden death.

"Don't worry, sister, mine." Blaise said coolly, reclining back against the stone wall, head resting against the window pane as he stared out at the empty grounds, watching the rain beat mercilessly down on the cobble paths. "The Heir will not fail us. He will eradicate our school from this… filth." Astoria frowned at the ground. There was something about the way Blaise spoke that reminded her of Lucius Malfoy. "Draco's father says so." Ah, that was probably why.

"But surely death must be a little… _extreme_ , no?" Astoria suggested meekly. "Can't we just… _force_ them out? Snap their wands, get them leave and tell them never to return?"

"Death has always been a touchy subject for you." Blaise stated with a surprising amount of compassion, but he didn't inch his head towards her, just kept his dark eyes trained out onto the grounds. "And I understand. It is – _was_ for me, too. Harrison was like a father to me, the closest I ever had to a real one. But you need to get over your fear of death. Of murder. Like I did." Blaise turned his body and swung his legs down from the window ledge and frowned up at her. "These people are stealing our magic, Ria. They deserve to be punished."

"Stick them all in Azkaban, then."

The corners of his lips twitched upwards. "Azkaban would become overcrowded."

"Who cares?" She asked with a one shouldered shrug, her other shoulder pressed up against the wall that she leaned against. "They're prisoners. Criminals. Bad people. They don't deserve human rights."

"Some of the people who fought for The Cause reside within those walls."

"Not worthy of our concern. They obviously weren't as skilful as they perhaps thought, after all, they did get caught."

Blaise tilted his head back and let out a bark of laughter. "We're more alike that we would perhaps admit to, sister." Astoria smiled and pushed away from the wall, sitting lavishly at the area of window bench across from her brother. Blaise lifted his legs, enclosing her into the corner. The corner of her mouth twitched at his bizarre method of affection – keeping her away from the risk of falling.

"Can't be true." She murmured. " _I_ actually have friends."

Blaise let out a short, humoured laugh and nudged at her leg with his feet. "All right, cheeky." She simply grinned in retaliation, pressing the back of her head against the coldness of the castle wall. "Do you _really_ have friends, though, Ria?" Blaise asked softly, his face now so close to the window that just by talking he managed to fog a small, circular section of the glass. Astoria looked at him with furrowed brows, her smile having vanished completely and replaced with a confused frown. "Pardon?" She asked softly.

Blaise sighed heavily and sat straighter. "All I'm saying is –" he broke off and swallowed, eyes narrowing as he struggled to find a way to deliver his question without insult. "What's the name of your friends, again?"

"Bethan, Lacey and Rose, now what were you trying to say, Blaise?"

"Well, what I'm trying to say is that when I hear your friends talking to each other they refer to each other with nicknames." Blaise dampened his lips with his tongue and felt a sharp stab of guilt at the look of pure… _sadness_ that crossed his younger sisters face, a look of sadness that he had induced. "Do they have nicknames for you, Astoria? Or do they call you just that?"

"I – I can't _recall_ them using anything other than my name, but that doesn't mean –"

"Do they act like followers or mates?" He asked needlessly. Blaise had seen – _observed_ – the way all of the other Slytherin first year girls fawned and stumbled when around Astoria, the most influential twelve year old girl with the grandest status Hogwarts had probably seen in many, many years. Not only was she respected out of the United Kingdom (something very little pureblood individuals obtained in a lifetime) what, with her being Safiya Ezeo's step-daughter and a direct member of the Greengrass family, but she was to be marrying into the Malfoy family _and_ had already secured her position as EPW Superintendent. She more than likely held more status than any of the three Black sisters did at Astoria's age. The worst of it all, she had _no idea_. Not a clear one, anyway.

"So," Astoria muttered, voice slightly hoarse "what you're telling me is that I came to Hogwarts friendless, and even after being here for nearly a year, I managed to stay the same way?" Blaise didn't answer, just drew a spiral onto the fogged glass and studied it carefully as if it were a vital piece of information. "So what should I do?" Astoria asked at length. "Should I just leave them altogether? _Bask_ in my loneliness?"

"Heavens no, Ria." Blaise muttered distractedly, swiping a palm over his fogged spiral. "If they want to live the follower life, give them a leader."

An airy laugh escaped from between Astoria's slightly parted lips. "I wouldn't even know where to begin, Blaise."

"Pansy Parkinson." He said bluntly and Astoria looked around for her presence. "No – she's not _here_ , I just mean – Pansy's a leader. I'd say study Draco but I think a female leader may be a more suitable role model for you. Go girl power and all that." Blaise threw a fist in the air unceremoniously. "She has Millicent, Tracey and Daph are at her beck and call no matter the time, weather, day or precipitation rating."

"And how exactly do I manage to wrangle three girls under my thumbs? I'm the youngest there – except the Carrow twins but they're _the Carrow twins_."

"You've already got them there. Just put it to use." Astoria frowned and dragged a hand down her chin. "Hey," Blaise tapped at her leg with his foot and simply smiled. He hoped that she got his silent _don't be upset_. If she did, she didn't show it.

"Let's just go and get some dinner." Astoria said through a heavy sigh, dropping herself down from the ledge and flattening her hands down the fabric of her dress, smoothing over any creases. "I overheard that there will be salmon."

/ / /

Blaise made it his mission to keep an eye on Astoria from that point onwards. He watched her as she subtly watched Pansy. He watched her as she struggled to find the ropes in asserting her dominance over the other three girls. He watched her as she put the Carrow girls in their place, now they only spoke to her when addressed directly. He watched her as she interacted with that sixth year girl. He didn't like that, not one bit. There was something _off_ about her. Something not to be trusted.

So Blaise split his time. He watched over Astoria and then he would watch over that sixth year when he could. He didn't get much from her, only that her name was Ivanna Wilkinson; she was a member of EPW, an estranged one at that; she was a third generation pureblood in her family; she didn't speak much with her dorm-mates, in fact, she spoke more with Astoria than she did the girls she occupied a room with; oh, and she had a deep, rather bizarre loathing for classical music.

Blaise frowned and drummed his fingers rhythmically on the leather binding of his class workbook. It had been two whole weeks since he had started his investigation of Ivanna Wilkinson. Two whole weeks and all he had come up with was five rather lousy facts. _Five_. He usually could gather all that up in two days. Perhaps he was getting rusty. He scowled and flicked his wand at an unsuspecting first year and muttered something under his breath, causing them to grow a small, curly piglet's tail. He smiled and feigned innocence. No, definitely not rusty. Shoving his wand back up the sleeve of his robe, he reclined and watched the first year scramble around with a deep, settled amusement.

When that got boring, he sat straighter and scouted out the rest of the common room for a familiar face, in need of some enlightenment. Sighing gruffly when she wasn't in sight, he settled on second best. "Hey, Nott!" Theodore turned around and looked at Blaise with raised brows and a slightly unsettled look. It took him by surprise, the two of them shared a dorm together, why the bloody hell did Nott look so scared? But then he remembered that he avoided him like dragon pox while alone. "Get your scrawny arse over here." He continued because he was Blaise Zabini and he wasn't one to back down.

"What do you want?" Theodore asked with slight hesitance, keeping himself out of arms reach.

"Can't I just want a chat with my soon-to-be brother-in-law and present roomie?" He asked innocently.

Theodore frowned. "You're Blaise Zabini – you don't _really_ want that." Damn, Nott was right.

"You're right." Blaise said with a careless shrug. "I wouldn't even blink if you were swallowed whole tomorrow by the giant squid."

"Cheers."

"No problem. Anyway," Blaise propped his elbows on his knees and inched forwards "where's Daphne?" Theodore's posture lightened significantly.

"Dunno." He answered with a nonchalant shrug. "Was with her about an hour ago, though, then went to the bathroom and never came back. Probably got side-tracked."

Blaise blinked up at him slowly and allowed the absolute fools words to comprehend. "You mean Daphne, the girl who feels guilty when she's swept away in the corridors to her next class and doesn't get the chance to say bye to her little sister, got _side-tracked_. And didn't say a single word to you about it?"

Theodore's face sunk. "Ah, shit."

" _You_." Blaise pointed at him fiercely as he got to his feet. "You're coming with me." Theodore knew better than to protest, opting for the safer option of trailing closely behind Blaise as they ventured out of the Slytherin Common Room and looked into every class in the dungeons. He succeeded in ignoring Blaise's degrading rumbles about him and his family. It wasn't as if he would avoid him after his education had finished, anyway.

"You're a fucking degenerate, Nott, how do you manage to get out of bed in the morning without accidentally offing yourself?" Blaise grumbled and Theodore blinked slowly, wondering if that was perhaps a threat. "I swear, have you spoken to Daphne at all? It's the first thing you get to know about her, she feels entirely too guilty about –"

 _All students to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please._

Blaise stopped in his tracks and Theodore barrelled into the back of him. "Another attack, possibly?" Theodore suggested curiously. Blaise shook his head morosely and growled out a low _'fuck_ '. "What?"

"The fucking Mandrakes. They're ready – I – if it were another attack, they'd just cure the poor bastard." Blaise dampened his lips with his tongue and let out a short sigh. "Whatever has happened, it's big. Bigger than a petrification."

"A death?"

"For your fucking sanity you better pray to Merlin that it isn't." Blaise ground out, hands fisting at his sides. "Because isn't it just a coincidence that Daph drops off the face of the earth the same hour as the Heir killed someone?" Theodore swallowed thickly and looked to the ground. "Yeah, fucking thought so, now keep your bastard mouth shut and follow me."

"Didn't you hear –"

"Do you have short-term memory loss?" Blaise snapped, gripping tightly onto Theodore's shoulder and pulling him behind a large hanging tapestry as curious voices began to filter through the halls. "Didn't I just tell you to keep quiet?" Theodore sealed his lips together and nodded solemnly. "Good – and about old McGonagall, it wouldn't be the first time I've ignored something she said. Certainly not the last, that's for sure." Blaise peered out from behind the cloth, looking at the faces of those who walked by, scowling when neither Daphne nor Astoria made the cut. The first round of students leaked into the common room and then the halls were empty, but the promise of new bodies soon as more voices came from the stair well. Blaise leaned back into the tapestry and fixed Theodore with a hard look. "I think you need to understand something, _mate_ , if my sister has so much as a _scratch_ on her body that got there in the time it took you to turn into a fucking idiot then sleep with one fucking eye open because I _will_ attack. Maybe not today, maybe not this week, maybe not even in our Hogwarts years but I promise you, I _will. End. You._ " Theodore's eyes blew wide. "Understand?" Theodore nodded frantically.

Blaise grinned sharply and slapped Theodore's cheeks twice with condescending pats. "Because my sisters mean a _hell_ of a lot to me. I'd kill for them. Quite literally." Blaise peered back around the tapestry.

This went on for five more minutes as three other rounds of students piled through to the common room and not a single Greengrass girl was to be seen. "Astoria." He muttered through gritted teeth. "Astoria wasn't in the Common Room when we left. I – I saw her leave but I didn't see her come back in." The familiar nasally, rather grating voice sent Blaise's head in a frenzy and immediately he stepped out from behind the tapestry. "Malfoy!" He bellowed, causing the blonde haired twit to stop in his tracks with a rather alarmed look. Blaise ran full speed down the corridor, stopping himself in just enough time as to not knock over his man-boy of the minute. "Malfoy," he breathed out "when was the last time you seen Astoria?"

"Just a few minutes ago." Draco answered, brows creasing together with something that looked like worry but couldn't have been because this was _Draco Malfoy_. "McGonagall pulled her to the side."

"McGonagall?" Blaise repeated with a deep frown. "What did she want with Astoria?"

Draco shrugged and tucked his hands away into his pockets. "My guess it was something to do with Greengrass."

"Daphne?"

"Yes, you have seen her before, haven't you, Zabini? The word of the grape vine is that she resides in your house, has green eyes, brown hair to just below her shoulders –"

"Yes, you pompous git, now shut up. Where did you get your idea from?"

Draco frowned and looked rather confused. "Greengrass was with McGonagall. She looked rather shaken – I'm guessing the old bat just wanted Astoria to calm her down." Blaise's being sagged with relief. "What's the matter with you? You didn't take anything, did you?"

Blaise glowered. "No, I haven't taken anything, but _fuck_ , I so should." Draco sneered and waved off his two goonies.

"Still looking for them?" Draco asked casually.

"Oh, no, I've decided that they are completely worthless of my time and I don't need to seek – _yes_ , you moron, of course I'm looking for them."

Draco tsked under her breath softly and shook his head. "What's with the bite, Zabini?" Blaise simply held up a middle finger and presented it at the younger boy with a look of pure irritation. "All I was going to say is that they're on their way. See?" Blaise whirled around and he grabbed Draco by the neck before running down the corridor, Draco having no other option but to break into his own run.

Astoria had an arm wrapped around Daphne's trembling and teary frame and her nose was buried into her sister's hair as she mumbled soothing words repeatedly. "It's going to be fine, Daph, everything's going to be okay. Nobody is going to let her get hurt, they're going to keep her safe. It's all going to be fine, everything's going to be okay. Deep breaths."

"What's going on?" Blaise asked loudly. Astoria frowned tightly and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her sisters ear.

"I – erm." She pulled away from Daphne's form and stood straighter, passing her on lightly to Draco. "Take her for a minute, okay? Walk ahead and Blaise'll fill you in in a bit."

Draco's eyes bulged and he shook his head frantically. "What am I supposed to _do_ with her?" He whispered loudly, stumbling as Astoria tucked Daphne securely under his arm. "Astoria!"

"Just – rub her back. Soothing circles. Take her into the common room and see if you can find Pansy and _trust_ me, that won't be hard. Get her to take over from there, tell her to get Daphne up to _my_ room and into _my_ bed. I'll take it from there." Astoria winced as Draco started to pat Daphne's back awkwardly. "Oh, _Merlin_. I – Theo!" Astoria walked towards the tapestry he still remained by with his head poking around the corner. "Theo, take Daphne into the common room and tell Pansy to take her into my room and put her in my bed. Hopefully you'll be more competent than _this_ toe rag." Draco had the audacity to be offended.

Theodore stepped out from behind the cloth and made a b-line for his quivering fiancée, removing her from Malfoy's arms and enveloping her within his own, thumb rubbing circles at her lower back. "See?" Astoria asked, pointing after Theodore and Daphne. " _That's_ how you comfort someone, not treat them as if they're choking."

"Astoria!" Blaise cut in sharply. "What's going on?"

"Ah," Astoria muttered, swiping at her tired looking eyes. "The Heir has taken a girl into the chamber of secrets."

"How does this involve –"

"Will you let me speak, Blaise?" Astoria growled with narrowed, harsh eyes. "True to his manner, the Heir wrote on the walls in blood. Something about the girls skeleton rotting down there for the rest of eternity – _I don't know_. But from what Professor McGonagall told me it was Daphne who saw his little love note first."

Draco scoffed. "She's torn up over _that_?"

Astoria turned to him with wild, angry eyes. "Actually, _no_." She folded her arms across her chest and let out a soft sigh. "She saw and spoke with the Heir." They stayed quiet until a small group of students overtook them briskly, waiting until they were out of ear shot. "The Heir told her that he had that Weasley girl down there. That he could trust Daphne, a good, pureblooded girl to make it known."

"But the Weasley's are pureblooded."

"Don't you think I know that, Blaise?" Astoria demanded hotly. "Daphne told McGonagall straight away. She said she didn't recognise the Heir and understandably, she's shaken up about the fact that a pureblood is dying at the hands of the Heir of Slytherin, you know, the bloke who wanted to preserve us all." Astoria sighed again and shook her head, muttering the password to the stone wall and waiting for it to subside. "I need to get all the information out of Daph while I can. You know what she's like, true to Daph fashion, she'll freak out and cry about it today but tomorrow, she'll continue living her life as if it never happened. Never say anything about the matter to anyone." She tugged her fingers through her matting hair and frowned. "And I dunno about you two, but I want to know who this Heir is and what he thinks his deal is." She picked up her pace and walked into the Common Room with the shake of her head. "Taking purebloods!" She whispered, throwing her hands in the air with expiration. "Who does he think he is?"

/ / /

Just as Astoria had said, Daphne stayed true to herself and the following morning, she was clad in fresh robes, hair freshly washed and brushed, a light rose tint to her cheeks and a large smile on her face. "Good morning!" She chirped with an overly happy beam. "Ooh! Is this breakfast?" She asked pointing to the table that had been conjured with delicious goodness laid on top.

"I – yeah." Blaise answered, gripping onto the back of Theodore's robes and tugging him back onto the sofa. He shot him a look, one which he hoped read _leave her alone_. "Snape laid it all out this morning. Told us to pack everything up, too, a train is coming to collect us all at eleven."

Daphne turned around with a slice of toast in hand, lips pursed with confusion as she played oblivious. "Really? With no exams?" She hummed softly and shrugged. "Weird." She turned back around and picked up a plate, carefully placing various breakfast goods onto it.

"What are you doing up, anyway?" Blaise asked conversationally, throwing his arm across Theodore's chest as he tried to stand once again. "It's five in the morning, Daph."

"I've always been an early morning girl, Blaise, you know that." She trilled. "Where's Ria? She wasn't in bed when I woke – when I went to check on her." Daphne didn't even flinch at her slip up, just carried on talking like it never even happened.

"I told Draco to take her up into our dorm at around the half one mark. She should be sleeping in my bed as we speak."

Daphne asked no further questions because apparently this was good enough for her. She nodded and went back to examining the strawberries for the juiciest looking ones. Blaise continued to stare at her back for a few minutes before he cracked. "Okay, little miss sunshine, the fuck is wrong with you?" Daphne turned around with a slight frown and Blaise's heart stuttered. _She was going to talk_.

"Snape didn't lay out any cranberry juice." She muttered instead of spilling revelations about the Heir and what was going on in her head. "I was kind of looking forward to having some." Blaise threw his hands up with expiration when she turned back around and picked up a pitcher of orange juice. "I'll just have to settle for this, I guess."

"Unfortunate." Blaise sneered, jabbing his elbow in Theodore's chest when he made another move to get up. "Sit the fuck down, Nott! Merlin's fucking beard, sit on your bony arse and for fucks sake, _stay there_." Theodore grimaced and slunk back into the sofa.

"You seem to be in a chipper mood this morning, brother mine." Daphne commented breezily, claiming the small space between the other edge of the couch and Nott.

"Oh, yeah." He grumbled with a sour frown. "I'm an absolute fucking peach, thanks for taking note, doll." Releasing a grouchy huff, Blaise stood, pulling up Theodore with him. "Let's try and catch a few hours before we have to pack, yeah?" Blaise shoved Theo forwards roughly, not allowing him to put in a single word. "Shout up the stairs at eight for us, Daph. We'll need to pack."

"Oh, alright." Daphne muttered with a miniscule frown.

"You better pack too, sister." Blaise said, forcing Theodore up the stairs as he turned to gouge in Daphne's reaction. "Hogwarts is shutting down." A series of emotions passed through Daphne's face but she settled on a soft frown of moulded disappointment. He nods at her once before hiking up the stairs, scolding Theodore harshly under his breath for being ' _so fucking dense_ '.

Daphne watched as her brother and betrothed retreated up the stairs, leaving her unbearably alone. It was one thing to rise in your sisters' bed alone, scared and having broken out in the cold sweats, another to find that she had apparently left you to your own devices after one of the most traumatic events in your life and it was completely pointless and rather upsetting to be left alone while eating breakfast by the boy who is to be your husband and the boy who you had grown up with. Daphne sighed and dropped her half eaten strawberry onto her plate, appetite gone in bid of incurable loneliness. Discarding her plate onto the coffee table, Daphne reclined her head back and sighed heavily. She stared up at the ceiling, taking it its very bland details with a small, lazy smile. It would be the last time she would ever do that. The last time she could lounge around the Slytherin Common room, the last time she could ever taste Hogwarts food, the last time she could ever exist within the castle walls. Because Hogwarts was closing down.

/ / /

Astoria stirred to the sound of commotion. The sound of incessant chatting, garbled voices and muffled whispers of excitement roused her from her slumber. "Blaise," she muttered, voice thick with sleep "is it eight?"

"Twenty five past seven." A hand pressed to her head and stroked down her hair. "Go back to sleep, Ria." Blaise muttered and Astoria cracked open an eye to see him up on an elbow, looking towards the dormitory door with heightened curiosity.

"I wonder what's happening." Astoria turned her head with her brows furrowing with confusion as she laid eyes on Draco who sat bolt straight, staring at the door just like Blaise.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Hey, Nott." The dormitory stayed silent except for the sounds of heavy, deep breathing. "Good, bugger's still sleeping." Blaise looked down and frowned. "I thought I told you to go back to sleep."

"You told me that not even a full minute ago, Blaise, sleep doesn't come that fast." Astoria answered, lifting herself to her elbows and letting out a small yawn.

"The talking started about fifteen minutes ago." Draco informed. Astoria suspected that it was for her sake considering that the other three in the dorm were sleeping and Blaise seemed to be caught up on the current situation of Common Room chatting. "Haven't stopped since, they appear to be getting louder, actually."

"Could be Daphne." Blaise suggested with a grimace. "Should probably go check it –"

"It's not Daphne." Astoria cut in, lifting a hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes. "She won't talk about it, you know she won't. She'll – She'll act oblivious. Say it wasn't her and then she'll look at them in that way that makes your insides want to cry and they'll all drop it. They haven't dropped it, ergo it isn't Daphne."

Blaise frowned. "Alright, princess, now that you've made your case, close your eyes and fuck off to sleep."

"Language." Astoria chided with a small, impish grin. "And you're not my _real_ brother, why should I take orders from you?"

"Because I'll beat you into next Wednesday, you brat." To make an example, Blaise flicked harshly at her ear lobe. Astoria frowned and rubbed at it softly. Before she started to whine petulantly, he frowned deeply and swept a hand over his entire face. "There's no chance you'll get back to sleep, now, anyway. You're just gonna have to sleep on the train, mother will kill you if you sleep through dinner."

Astoria rose quickly and scowled. "What do you _mean_ sleep on the train?" She demanded. "Professor McGonagall can't send us all home. We haven't even taken our exams yet – this is preposterous!"

"Were you fed a dictionary as a child?" Blaise questioned midly before shaking his head, putting his mind back on track. "Never mind. And McGonagall isn't just sending us home, Snape came intot he common room about five minutes after you left, laid out food and told us that Hogwarts had to shut down. For everyone's safety."

"Disgusting!"

"A child was taken into the chamber to die, they can't keep it open."

"I'm going to have to attend school with _Ajax_ , now!"

"Go to Beauxbatons, then."

Astoria pouted and crossed her arms over her chest tightly. " _No_." She huffed stubbornly. "They have _etiquette_ lessons there, Blaise. I already passed all my etiquette classes, I don't want to spend another evening in a bloody garden learning the many different types of forks there are!"

"That doesn't sound _that_ bad."

"I swear, my brain started to leak out through my nose. It was _awful_."

"Stop over –"

"Guys!" The dormitory door flung open, revealing a very dishevelled looking fifth year, panting heavily with his robes all askew and a dark red tinge to his cheeks. "It's all going to be okay!" He exclaimed. Astoria frowned, she wasn't aware things weren't okay. "The girl has been saved! Potter saved the girl! Hogwarts will remain open!" And like that, the over-excitable (although his excessive excitement was perfectly understandable) fifth year slammed the door shut and the only indication that he ever appeared was the look of intense befuddlement from the three already-woken dorm occupants and the three, rudely awoken and slightly grumpy boys.

"Well, then." Blaise muttered after a few long seconds. "I guess you can forget everything I just told you, Ria."

" _Harry Potter_ saved that Weasley girl from the chamber of secrets." Astoria muttered with a tight frown. "That – there's something deeply wrong with that."

"Ugh." Draco harrumphed loudly, throwing his back down onto his bed, sounding and looking completely worn out and Astoria guessed that it wasn't just from the lack of sleep. "Life is really revolting sometimes."

/ / /

 _Dear Narcissa,_

Astoria re-dipped her quill in her ink pot and sighed softly.

 _This is the ninth time I have started this letter_ She looked to the pile of crumpled parchment and frowned, she had to have at least wrote it out three dozen times, but there was no way she would tell Narcissa that _and it doesn't seem to be getting any easier, so I guess that this is it._ Astoria nodded firmly and repeated that in her head. This was going to be the letter she'd send to Narcissa, no more re-starting.

 _I'm going to start off by saying that I am only writing this to you because you're the only one who will understand. Or maybe, you won't understand._ Astoria frowned down at the parchment and shook her head slightly. _But I can't tell myself that because if I do then I'll feel alone._ Or more alone, Astoria thought to herself bitterly. _This is the point where I have, in my previous letters, discarded them. I just don't know what to say. Or more like I do, I just don't know how._

 _Daphne wouldn't understand. She's a social magnet, people want to be around her. People want to be her friend. People want to be her friend because she's nice, she makes people smile and she has a lovely soul. Safiya – I don't know how many friends she had while in school but I'd place my bets on she had many. Many who yearned to get close to her because of her radiating personality and the way she makes people feel safe just by standing next to her._

 _Blaise has never cared much for friends, he claims that family is enough. Perhaps it is._ Astoria frowned and re-inked her quill. _But not for me._

 _I was informed not too long ago that the friends I thought I had made were actually friends with my status. Friends with the Astoria I will be the years to come. Leaching off of that Astoria, the one who hasn't even seen the light of day yet. Apparently, Astoria Greengrass doesn't have friends – she has followers._

 _I remember thinking that the EPW rule of the Superintendent having no relations with anyone within their segment outside of meetings was strange. Cruel. Isolating. But I think I understand, now, because people are cruel, people will do anything to get themselves to the top, even if that means tearing others down. That rule is set in place to keep the one at the top at the top. Where she belongs. That rule ensures that the Superintendent doesn't get taken advantage of. Isn't manipulated._

 _I guess I just wish I knew that before, because if I did, then I wouldn't look as stupid as I feel right now._

 _Kindest regards,_

 _Astor_

Astoria stopped writing and pulled out her wand. " _Incendio_." She whispered, watching as the letter bustled into flames and turned to ash, the agonizingly personal contents never to be seen by another pair of eyes. She dipped her quill back into the pot of quickly vanishing ink and started again.

 _Dear Narcissa,_

 _Everything is as great as it possibly could be after the unexpected downfall of the Heir. Draco told me about what happened to Lucius and I would like to_

"Astoria?" Daphne lingered at the door with an unnatural stillness to her, almost rigidly still. She had been in a weird way since the… _business_ with the Heir. She was uncommonly jumpy and she would visibly shudder whenever they turned a corner, almost as if she was expecting to see him there again, waiting to tell her that he had captured more people because she got him caught the first time. She hadn't spoken a word about it, Astoria didn't bother trying to make her. If ignoring it was how Daphne coped as well as she could (which still wasn't very well) then Astoria would leave her be. Everyone else who was in the know seemed perfectly content in leaving the older Greengrass sister be, let her do what she needed to do to get past this. All except Blaise, of course, who insisted on dropping subtle, barely noticeable hints whenever the opportunity would arise. Daphne recognised them all, felt every single private jab he made in her direction as he silently begged for her to say _something_. _Anything_. Anything other than her radio silence. But that was Blaise for you, he didn't like anything that didn't go the way he wanted it to go. He didn't want to stand for something that he couldn't comprehend and Daphne's refusal to speak was something he didn't even try to wrap his head around.

"Yes, Daph?"

"Who are you writing?" She asked timidly, taking a tentative step into Astoria's dorm.

"I'm replying to Narcissa." Astoria answered, folding over her piece of parchment and rising from her desk, hastily shoving her unfinished letter into the pocket of her robes. "Expressing my discontent over exams being cancelled."

Daphne visibly loosened and she nodded. She had taken a disliking to the people in the know writing. Astoria suspected that Daphne was scared they were telling everyone they knew of her ordeal. Blaise suspected that Daphne was being moronic. Astoria suspected that Blaise was a blubbering fool who should keep his mouth shut. Draco suspected that he was getting fed up of the stupid sibling quarrelling and they should shut up. Theodore suspected that it was nearly time for dinner. "Awful, isn't it?" She asked conversationally, leaning back against the wall and watching her younger sister with curious eyes. Astoria guessed that Daphne knew she was lying, because why else would she rush to hide the evidence? But Daphne was also more than willing to accept any lie that Astoria would hurdle her way. "What about the fifth to seventh years? They have OWLs and NEWTs to worry about – how will they get jobs?"

"I think that the ministry would be a bit more lenient with their case. Anyway, they have homework, don't they? They can just look at their class rankings, I guess."

Daphne pursed her lips and nodded, accepting Astoria's answer wholly. "Guess so." She answered quietly. "Do you think anything like that will happen when we take exams?" Daphne asked after a few seconds, lips turning downwards and her brows pulling together ever so slightly.

"What, you mean will the Heir of Slytherin terrorise our school and kidnap a first year just before we have to take some of the biggest exams of our lives?" Astoria asked teasingly, body flushing with relief when Daphne's chest shook out a laugh. "No, Daph, I think that's all the crazy Hogwarts has to offer. What was it last year? A magic stone?"

Daphne grinned and nodded. "And the Dark Lord concealed behind a turban."

Astoria hummed lowly. "Yeah, I think that's all Hogwarts has in terms of crazy. Our exams will come and pass normally. No – No dark wizards in people's heads, no Heir walking around. It's going to be perfect normal."

But of course, they were both wrong. Tragically incorrect with their predictions because little did they know, the Heir would return and terror would strike and strike hard. The Heir would 'kidnap' another, more closer to home, he would get Astoria in his reach, grab, squeeze until she had nothing more to give; the Heir would get into everyone's heads, speaking in a lulling voice, demanding that Harry Potter turn himself over; the Heir would walk the grounds of Hogwarts once again. And there was nothing they could do to stop it.

But more on that later.

/ / /

I simultaneously hated and loved writing this chapter. There was some parts that came as easy as breathing (mainly Blaise's parts) and there was some parts where I felt like I was trying to get the last of the tomato sauce out of the bottle. I have two questions for the meantime, though.

One: How do you guys like it when I go into another character who isn't Astoria's point of view? Like Daphne's, Blaise's, Narcissa's etc. I like writing them but I would like to know if you guys enjoy reading them, if you don't, I'll just stick with Astoria – I want you all to enjoy reading this as much as I do writing it.

Two: Should I write a one-shot about Daphne's encounter with the Heir? I had it all planned out in my head, I just didn't feel like it fit into the chapter all that much. Lemme know!

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	10. Chapter 10

The summer holidays approached in a flurry of heat, sweat and humidity. The clouds in the sky weren't their usual dark, gloomy grey that seemed to stretch for miles but were light, wispy, the whitest of white and were very few and far between. The sun shone brightly, its boiling rays beating down on every surface possible. A light, slightly stuffy breeze would blow every few seconds, never boiling long enough to be considered 'cooling' just 'obnoxiously teasing'.

Astoria lay on the grass, sprawled out and cursing the day society decided that girls should wear robes down to the _ankles_ , even in the sweltering hot heat. It was madness! Torture! _Inhumane!_ Not even Safiya's cooling charms could save her! "I'm dying." Astoria muttered grumpily. Daphne scoffed and rolled her eyes, seeming to be coping perfectly well in the blistering heat, although sweat coated her bare shoulders and she was constantly swiping at her forehead.

"Do you think you can postpone your dying to until the Malfoy's leave?" Safiya clipped, fanning herself with a magazine lazily, her hair piled to the back of her head rather prettily and her face free from makeup. Astoria grimaced and lumped out a shrug. "Don't be so moody, girl." Safiya grunted out with a heavy eye roll. "They'll only be here for three hours, tops."

"Why do they need to be coming at all?" Astoria grouched, twisted her neck to stare blankly at her step-mother through her heavily tinted shades. "I bet _they_ can cast cooling charms effectively. Do they really need to be beside the sea?"

"Are you calling me ineffective, child?" Safiya challenged with a threatening hint to her tone. Astoria simply grinned. "And Narcissa and I agreed that you and Draco should see each other before you and Daph swan off to Greece. It's not as though Draco can visit you there, is it?" Astoria scowled down at the grass at the awful excuse. So far, Astoria's arrangement with the Malfoy Heir had been used as an excuse for Narcissa and Safiya to be in each other's company, gossiping like little fifth year girls alone, without the added presence of another twenty or so women. Astoria had been at the Malfoy's more times than was supposed to be her quota for the summer and Draco now visited the Greengrass Estate so many times he knew the entire buildings layouts. It was driving Astoria a little stir crazy.

"You _did_ remember that Pansy and Millicent are coming over for lunch, right, Safiya?" Daphne asked prissily, folding her arms across her chest tightly and fixing Safiya a look that could make the dead quake with fear. Safiya laughed.

"First ineffective and now forgetful? My, my, Blaise, would you like to put your galleons worth in?"

"Nah," Blaise murmured, not lifting his eyes from the book he was currently absorbed in "the girls have got it under control."

"And as a matter of fact, Daphne, I have already got the elves preparing some picnic type foods so all you kids can go off and find some shade –"

" _All you kids_?" Daphne echoed, face slumping tremendously. "Including Astoria?"

"Hey!"

"Shut up. Astoria's too young for us, Safiya. Blaise and Draco, sure, I'm not exactly _thrilled_ , but we're the same age."

"I'm younger by a year!"

"Shut up, Astoria. We're maturing and she's only twelve."

" _Maturing_? Daphne, you still sleep with teddy bears!"

"I said _shut up_ , Astoria. And I'll have to spend the next four weeks with her, anyway, so it's not like I hate her, or anything. I just can't share _everything_ with her. And Pansy and Millie are _my_ friends." Daphne cast a cold look in Astoria's direction. "Anyway, I'm sure she'll much prefer sitting up here with you, Narcissa and Lucius. _Wouldn't you_ , little sister?"

"Actually, no. I wouldn't. Pansy's my friend too!"

Daphne let out a loud, shrill laugh. "Yeah, _right_! She's a status leeching tick! She only speaks with you because you're next in line for Superintendent!"

Astoria got to her feet quickly and glowered intensely. "Another word and I won't need magic to hurt you!"

Safiya flicked her wand and sent a series of loud, shrieking yelps into the air. "Enough!" Daphne closed her mouth, the insult she had on the tip of her tongue dying down at the roughness of her step-mothers tone. "I've had enough of you two quarrelling like common fools." Astoria started to protest but was silenced by a quick, warning kick to the leg by her older sister. "Daphne, Astoria will be having lunch with you and that's final." With a victorious kind of glee, Astoria stuck her tongue out in Daphne's direction. "But, Astoria, if I catch you threatening harm on your sister again I will personally ensure that you'll be eating all your meals for the rest of summer alone."

Daphne let out a quiet snort. "A blessing in disguise. Then I won't have to eat in the presence of an absolute _troll_." Astoria scoffed and fisted a handful of grass and mud, lobbing it down the front of her sisters pretty royal blue dress. Daphne let out an ear piercing shriek, staring down at her newly bought robes in dismay. Safiya groaned softly and stared up at the sky, looking like she was asking a higher power for help. She more than likely was. "You complete and utter _brat_!" Daphne howled, wiping the dry mud marks delicately. "Now I'm going to have to change! I won't be able to do that by the time Pansy and Millie get here! I'll look like a dead awful host!" With a very loud and aggravated huff, Daphne spun round and started her strut don the freshly clipped lawn, completely ignoring the arrival of three blonde haired, rather high ranking guests.

"Such a pity." Astoria groused loudly with a small, self-satisfied grin. "Royal blue is _such_ a lovely colour on you, too, Daph. It reminds me of the shade that we see Uncle Hal's… _lady friends_ , shall we call them, wear when he invites them for private dinner." Daphne paused on the grass and Astoria wanted to make her down a pepper-up potion so her ears would steam and match her undeniable anger. Slowly, Daphne turned on her heal, he eyes as sharp as blades and her lips pressed together thinly. She stalked towards Astoria at a rapid pace and for the smallest of seconds, she was certain that Daphne was about to make her eat dirt. She laughed merrily, perking up as she eagerly awaited her older sisters next actions but was stopped short when Safiya barked out Daphne's name.

"Sit _down_!"

"But Safiya, _my dress_!"

"For heavens sake." Safiya slipped her and from the sleeve of her robes and flicked it at the very feint and nearly invisible marks on the front of Daphne's dress and just like magic, because it was, it disappeared. "Now sit before I make you." Daphne huffed petulantly though her nose. "And Astoria, _stop annoying your sister_."

"I do hope we're not interrupting anything, are we?" Apparently in the time it had taken Astoria to provoke Daphne to the point of a near beating, the Malfoy trio had made it within close enough proximity to talk in a normal, level tone and still be heard.

"Not at all, Narcissa." Safiya already looked one million times lighter. Perhaps she knew that Astoria and Daphne wouldn't dare try irritate each other to the point of bloody battle in Narcissa's presence, or maybe Narcissa just simply had that effect on her. "These two hadn't stopped bickering since they got back." Safiya glared filthily at her two daughters. "It's the heat. I'm hoping, anyway." She straightened and offered her new guests a dazzling grin. "There's two seats here, for the two of you, Draco, Narcissa." Safiya gestured to two specific vacant seats, completely ignoring the four others. "And especially for you, Lucius, I organised a little seat, just over there." Safiya pointed towards the cliffs edge with a large, glistening beam. "All you have to do is walk over the ledge and I promise you, my dear friend, it's lingering mid-air."

Astoria froze, caught between wanting to laugh at Safiya's morbid idea of a joke (or, at least, she hoped it was a joke) or complete mortification at the fact that he step-mother had just hinted that he soon-to-be father-in-law was to jump from the cliff. Daphne gaped. The corners of Blaise's mouth twitched but he made no noise. Draco blinked rapidly. Narcissa let out an impatient breath though her nose.

Unexpectedly, Lucius threw his head back and let out an obviously fake, overly enthusiastic laugh. "Oh, Safiya! Your humour amuses me so. Keep talking though, and I may just take you up on your offer." Lucius threw her an exaggerate wink and took it upon himself to claim a chair that resided on the ground, not off the ledge of the cliff.

Safiya hummed lowly and smiled. "Then I shall simply keep talking."

"Oh, _seriously_ , Safiya?" Narcissa bemoaned. It struck Astoria as odd at how she seemed to be taking all of this in stride; almost like it had happened, many, _many_ times before. Like she was used to it. Astoria suddenly craved for stories of her step-mothers school years and her inner circle.

"What?" Safiya blinked innocently. "It's been, what? Nearing eleven years? I'm making up for lost time." Lucius let out a disbelieving snort and the two grown adults stared at each other, a psychic conversation passing between the two of them. Lucius cocked an eyebrow and Safiya sat forwards, widening her eyes theatrically. Lucius scowled and the corners of Safiya's mouth twitched upwards. Narcissa let out a heavy sigh and shook her head with heavy disapproval.

"Alright." Astoria said with force, gathering herself to her feet and sweeping her hands don her backside to ride of creases and stray grass blades. "I'm away to jump off the cliff – and _no_ , Safiya, you said that I could when our guests arrive." Astoria waved a hand around pointedly at the three Malfoy's. "Hello, newly arrived guests. See!" With a happy grin, Astoria began to edge closer to where the land stopped and plunged many feet below into cool water.

"Fine, fine." Safiya huffed off, propping her chin up with a balled fist. With a gleeful hoot, Astoria charged down the stretch of green, freshly cut grass.

Lucius let out another whistle. "Encouraging twelve year olds to end their lives, Safiya?" He asked, almost mockingly but his eyes were trained on the now figurine sized Astoria with creased brows – something akin to worry. "That's a new low, even for yourself." He politely averted his gaze when Astoria began to peel off her dress.

Before Safiya could reply with a snarky comment, Blaise shot up and faced his mother with a pleading look. "It's only right that if Ria gets to jump I do to, don't you think? Just to keep her safe?" Because Blaise would never admit that plunging down a cliff face was one of his favourite things to do and brought him joy in front of _Draco Malfoy_. Safiya nodded with a withered sigh and Blaise stalked off with concealed excitement, shouting across the empty field for Astoria to wait up. "Daphne? Do you want to go and join?" Safiya offered as her eldest daughter stayed rooted in place with a slight scowl.

"Nope." She popped with the stern shake of her head. "I'm going to wait for Millie and Pansy by the fireplace." Daphne dragged herself to the patio doors and everyone pretended not to notice her staring longingly at her two siblings as they laughed, cheered and wiggled out of their clothing, stripping down to bathing suits they had so skilfully decided to wear in place of underwear, having planned to cliff dive from the early morning.

"I'm sure Blaise wouldn't mind loaning you a pair of swimming trunks if you would like to join, Draco." Safiya offered as she leaned lavishly back into her deck chair, arching her back until it gave a satisfying crack and rolling back her shoulders.

"I'm alright, actually." Draco answered stiffly, eying the ledge of the cliff with great disdain. He had no desire to be hurling himself from _that_ height, nor did he have a desire to wear anything that Blaise Zabini owned.

Safiya frowned slightly as she closed her eyes. "Well, if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Lucius let out a gruff scoff that caused Safiya to snap into a sitting positon and crack her eyes wide open. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, Malfoy! It's _cliff diving_ , not suicide! I know this may just be a foreign concept to you, but it. Is. _Fun_." A moody smoulder etched itself onto Lucius' face for half a minute before, rather madly, he began to grin.

"So you only wanted me to have fun, is it, Ezeo?" He cooed and Safiya had to bite her tongue from sending condolences Draco's way if _that_ was how his father spoke to children. "Such a doll, tell you what, why don't you join me?"

"Lucius, _enough_." At Narcissa's stern words, all thoughts of goading ere immediately dropped.

/ / /

Hair tied in a sopping wet pony, beads of water cascading down her bare back, Astoria nibbled rather happily at her tuna salad sandwich. Her sister, on the other hand, gnawed down viciously at her grape, hair pinned back tightly and completely bone dry. It wasn't at all going as Daphne had planned. She had expected Safiya to lump Blaise and Malfoy with Daphne, Millicent and Pansy but she had certainly not expected, _Astoria_ to be thrown into the bundle, too.

Daphne loved Astoria, hell, she even adored her, but this was _her time_. Was she a bad person for wanting to spend time with her friends alone before spending every single waking and sleeping hour with her younger sibling for four entire weeks? She didn't think so.

And there was something about the way Pansy was stuck to Astoria like glue rather than trying to impress Draco that put Daphne on edge. A shared look with Blaise told her that he was just as suspicious. Millicent didn't even register Daphne's look and instead just smiled back in a happy oblivion.

"You met your baby sister the other week, didn't you, Astoria?" Pansy asked enthusiastically and Daphne rolled her eyes. Pansy already knew the answer – Daphne had owled her the minute Violeta and new child left. Astoria nodded politely. "Met her three days after school ended." Pansy cooed obnoxiously.

"Hey, Parkinson, didn't Daph already tell you?" Blaise asked, not even attempting to play coy and innocent. Pansy pursed her lips and hummed lowly, as if trying to recall a letter from many, many years ago as opposed to only a few weeks.

"Oh yes!" She said brightly. "I forgot." She turned to Daphne with an obviously feigned apologetic look. "Sorry, Daph." Pansy resumed her position on facing Astoria fully. "What was her name? Is she cute?"

"She's alright, I suppose." Daphne almost snorted, Astoria was completely obsessed within the first five minutes – completely unexpected, but it had happened. "And she's called Nad – Nade – Naddy – Daphne?"

"Her name's Nadejda." Daphne supplied, tearing the crust from the bread. "But you should already know that, Pansy. I told you in my letter."

"That's an awfully odd name." Pansy muttered with a slight frown, deciding to ignore Daphne's comment and more than likely skimming over the fact that her own name is rather bizarre and unheard of and the bloke she took a liking to is named after a rather unknown constellation.

"We call her Nadia." Astoria chirped out with a bright smile. "She can smile now, and she laughs a bit, too. Her name is Bulgarian, Mother's from there."

"Your mother doesn't _look_ Bulgarian." Draco sneered and Astoria scowled.

"And what exactly does a person from Bulgaria look like?" She huffed.

"Not your mother, _that's_ for sure."

"Mother's great-grand mother moved to England when she was nineteen, Draco." Daphne explained with a horribly condescending smile. "All the men swarmed to her because she was pureblood and _exotic_ , shall we say. The Bulgarian blood has been diluting since she shacked up with an English man." Blaise lurched forwards with a gasp as he struggled to laugh around the sandwich crust he had just swallowed. Daphne mustered a small smile and leaned back against the ancient apple tree.

"That's not very ladylike, Daph, using those vulgar terms." Astoria sighed, tone not exactly scornful, but it was enough for it to set Daphne on the edge of aggravation. Blaise rolled his eyes heavy, almost as if groaning _'here we go again'_.

"Yeah?" Daphne leered. "Well I don't exactly care for acting ladylike, Astoria. Not everyone has to calculate each and every move they make in fear of being disliked nationally!" Astoria sat straighter and snarled back her response.

"It's been like this all summer." Blaise murmured quietly, leaning into Draco's personal bubble. He surprised himself at the little thought it took to talk to Malfoy like an old friend, how easily he was able to wipe the confusion of the sickly white boys face. Malfoy inclined his head slightly and watched as Astoria silently fisted her hand into the grass under her, prepared to strike. "I'm unsure whether Daph is jealous of Ria, you know, because had she not been betrothed to you she would have gotten the position of the EP whatever after your mother." Draco's pale brows lifted with complete willing to accept Blaise's first excuse. Picturing Daphne as anything other than knock-out sweet was something he was more than ready to do. There had to be something black and rotten under all that purity, right? Jealousy seemed rotten enough. "Or possibly she just thinks that she's a little to old to be followed around by her younger sister." Blaise gave an easy shrug, deciding to let Malfoy draw his own decisions. "Perfectly plausible as the first," he decided firmly "they've never really had their separate identities. It's always been Daphne _and_ Astoria. Not Daphne and there's also Astoria."

"So she may just be having an identity crisis," Draco concluded. While this seemed all the more realistic, he decided not to let the first go without proper inspection.

"Astoria, put the grass _down_ ," Blaise berated harshly. Astoria stared at him blankly. "Mother will send you inside for the rest of the evening, you know she will. Grass. Put it down." With a defeated sigh, Astoria discarded her ball of lawn clippings. Blaise turned back to Draco as if he hadn't just taken a break for small chidings. "Pretty much, yeah." Blaise rolled back his shoulders and tipped his head back, soaking in the rays of sun.

Draco watched the two sisters carefully and silently. He watched with heightened curiosity as Astoria was shoved deep into conversation with Parkinson, a strange act in itself because wasn't she friends with _Daphne_? The older Greengrass sister had obviously taken note about this, too, as her face portrayed utter rejection and she played feebly with the crusts of her half eaten quarter sandwich. He refused to feel any form of sorrow or pity – because how out of character would _that_ be?! – and decided that the scenery around him was all that more interesting that the people around him.

Twenty minutes later, Astoria excused herself to the bathroom and decided not to return. Pansy brought this up rather quickly and was snapped at by Daphne who claimed that if it was anyone's fault for the disappearance of her little sister it was surely to be _hers_ , and did you come here for me or my sisters status, Pansy? Pansy stared at the older Greengrass before laughing shrilly, calling her a right comical act. Millicent put her galleons worth in for the first time that evening, claiming loudly that she _was_ acting rather strange. Pansy defended herself furiously and Draco was elbowed in the ribs by Blaise who whispered that they should probably leave them to bicker alone.

Three minutes later they located Astoria sitting by Safiya's feet silently, looking far more at ease than she had done by the apple tree over their picnicked lunch. "Thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth, Ria," Blaise commented coyly. "You just wandered off to the loo and never returned. I thought you'd pulled a Daph –"

"I got fed up of Pansy's incessant chatter." Astoria narrowed her eyes in a silent way of telling Blaise to keep his mouth shut on the topic of the Heir. "Is it a crime that I would occasionally like to _not_ have someone harping away in my ear? Why couldn't it be Millicent who wanted to leech onto me?" She bemoaned dramatically, her voice nearly drowned out by Safiya and Narcissa's laughter.

"Don't you _like_ Pansy, Astoria?" Draco asked mockingly, parroting the question she had asked him over two months prior. Astoria smiled tightly and swatted at his ankles. Blaise was the only one who noticed the now-curious gaze the small interaction had gouged from Lucius Malfoy.

/ / /

"Maybe when you get back from Greece you and Daph can come sleep at my house!" Pansy suggested cheerily and Astoria had a large, sneaking suspicion that she knew that the day after she was carted back from Europe she was shoved into the arms of the Malfoy's.

"I'll leave Daphne to answer on her own part, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Astoria murmured awkwardly. Pansy made the effort to look heartbroken.

"Oh," she said in a small, quiet tone. "That's unfortunate. I'd invite you over during the Christmas Holidays, but my family and I travel to the Highlands and spend it there and Easter is a no go, either, I stay back at school and allow my parents to travel." Pansy gnawed at her lower lip. "Maybe next summer, then?"

"Of course," Astoria agreed with faux cheerfulness. "Next summer it –"

"Perhaps you could come round for tea one day, Pansy." Narcissa offered. Astoria froze, cursing herself for not noticing the well thought out proximity Pansy had chosen to have that conversation at. Narcissa sat where she had all afternoon, partially covered by the shade of Safiya's large umbrella only mere feet from where Pansy and Millicent were bidding their goodbyes.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to intrude on –"

"Nonsense!" Narcissa admonished with the wave of her hand. "I'll tell you what, on the Wednesday when Astoria gets back you and Daphne can come over for tea. I'll speak more with your mother at the next meeting. My floo should already be connected to yours, so that's all sorted out and I'll have the elves make something special."

"I – thank you." Pansy beamed and at least had the decency to look grateful. "That would be wonderful, Mrs Malfoy, thank you so much."

Narcissa seemed entirely pleased with her proposition and seemed to think the look on Astoria's face portrayed that of pleasant surprise rather than unholy regret and gave her a friendly wink, immersing herself back into the adult conversation before the playful goads between Lucius and Safiya became not so playful.

"Isn't this exciting?" Pansy gushed with excitement, gripping tightly at Astoria arm.

"Incredibly." Astoria gritted out.

"Oh!" Pansy exclaimed, turned at a rapid pace to face Daphne. "Did it tell you –" Astoria rolled her eyes as Pansy drowned her sister in the summers gossip so far, obviously content that she had gotten what she so desired and no longer needed to be in the presence of a twelve year old. Blaise snickered to himself from where he sat, seemingly at nothing but Astoria _knew_ that he had just witnessed everything. He always did.

/ / /

"I come as the bearer of gifts!" Astoria proclaimed loudly and Draco noticed that she had a slight accent to her voice. More than likely a consequence of barely speaking a lick of English for four weeks he had concluded. She had returned no more than twenty-four hours ago and had turned up at his doorstep less than a half hour prior. Her skin was beautifully sun-kissed and her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Shockingly to all three Malfoy's, she was all legs that seemed to stretch unclothed for miles and miles. "A new fashion trend!" she had declared happily. "Gideon De Chanel, a French designer who lives in southern France, designed a knee-length dress for his wife and three mistresses, bored of their constant complaints of being to warm. It's taken then rest of Europe by storm. Daph and I have decided that we're going to try and make it a big thing here. Summer dresses they're called, it's that just quaint?" Lucius and Draco were subjected to three entire minutes of designer talk as Narcissa decided that if Gideon De Chanel's designs were as high quality and jaw-droppingly beautiful as they usually were then she really didn't have the right to complain.

"For you, Narcissa." Astoria emerged from the large bag with a delicately wrapped box. "I had my cousin Priya help me with the gifts. She's an aspiring fashion consultant." With curiosity now heightened, Narcissa unwrapped the gift with delicate hands. She lifted a simple dark grey shawl from its packaging and gasped lowly.

"It's beautiful, Astoria."

"There's more." Astoria trilled with a beam of ecstasy. Narcissa folded the material primly and splayed it over the back of the armchair before delving back into the box. "Uncle Halcyon has a… friend in Paris who has similar relations with him. I wasn't quite sure if you liked his work, but a show's a show, correct?"

"This must have cost a _fortune_ , Astoria, I simply cannot –"

"But you simply _can_." Astoria interrupted sternly. "The tickets would go to waste otherwise. Saf already has one, my aunts and grandmother already have. I'll be in school. You'll put them to use."

Narcissa looked to her husband with a boy grin. "We're departing for France in two weeks." From within the box, Narcissa held two decorated slips of card. "Tickets to Gideon De Chanel's eighty-two collection show."

"Front row seats, obviously," Astoria commented "and I do hope you don't mind that you'll be seated with my grandparents, my aunts and their husbands. I think a few of my cousins are going, too. The front row will be in attendance of Greengrasses and those thought worthy in their eyes." Astoria flashed a dimpled smile. "And they serve only the best wine and whiskey to dull the six hours of pure fashion." She looked at Lucius while she spoke and he scoffed out a laugh.

"For you," she continued, riffling back into her bag "a mixture of smoking applicants. My Grandfather chose them. He has an identical set and claims that any man with as much respect as yourself just _has_ to own this collection before they pass." Lucius took the golden plated box from Astoria's hands and peered inside, lips turning down thoughtfully as he considered its contents. "He was dead set on gold, but I manages to persuade him on the silver last minute." She murmured with a bashful smile. "If I remember correctly, there should be a pipe, a cigarette case, a tobacco box and the males version of a slimline that's smaller but both my grandfather and my uncle swear by it."

"Thank you, Miss Greengrass." Lucius lulled, placing the case upon the fireplace, a sure sign that he enjoyed the gift much more than he was letting on my leaving the lid propped up.

"And for you, Draco." Astoria stuffed a hand into the increasingly lighter bag and retrieved the last of its contents. "I picked it out myself." Astoria admitted, almost sounding embarrassed. "It was either that or get help from one of my cousins and they seem to live for my social downfall and public embarrassment." She handed over a small box, one that was unsettlingly similar to the boxes that he had seen his mother earrings in. With slight hesitance that he hoped he didn't portray with his body language and facial expressions, Draco opened the box, pleasantly surprised when its contents weren't earrings, but a pair of incredibly expensive looking cufflinks. It shocked him, just by looking at the silverware he knew that it was definitely one of the few items he could ask his father for and would be disappointed by the rejection with claims of it being reserved for those with American wealth (AKA the families that had far more in the bank than the Malfoy's, but to admit that would be admitting that there _were_ families who had more wealth to their name).

Taking a closer look, he noticed the Malfoy Crest encrusted onto the fine silver and a chill ran up his spine. He felt naturally guilty, this had to be worth far more than all the presents she had received from him combined, especially getting it personally engraved. "I – thank you." He gingerly touched one, rubbing his index finger over it and half-expecting the silver to stain his fingers and reveal a cheap plastic. It didn't. Apparently, it was one hundred percent authentic and apparently the Greengrass's were of more worth than Draco ever had comprehended.

Lucius snuck a look at the gift over his sons shoulder and immediately reeled back, grinding down at his teeth and staring ahead, deciding instead to study the wallpaper.

"If you don't like it I can always send it back," Astoria offered quietly and Draco half felt like he should take her up on that offer. It wasn't like he couldn't appreciate silverware for all they were worth, of course he could, and this was something he could use for the rest of his life. He wasn't entirely sure, however, if he would like to feel like he was indebted to his own fiancée because he could scramble and buy her dozens of gifts to match the price but Astoria was Astoria. She would give, also, and Draco's price to match would only increase. He wasn't quite sure than he could handle it.

"Thank you." He repeated, staring down at them and mentally cursing at himself because that was _not what he wanted to say_. He was supposed to politely reject her gift and suggest some lower priced books that he had been eyeing. He plucked up the courage and opened his mouth again, but almost against his own will, it shut.

Astoria grinned, evidently surprised with the reaction her gifts had gotten and Draco exhaled harshly through his nose, closing his box delicately. How could he reject them _now_? When she looked so – so _pleased?_ Draco sighed once more and accepted his fate. A fate with ridiculously good looking cufflinks and an even better looking fiancée.

He mentally cursed once more with that interesting development.

He had always thought Astoria pretty, not only was it in her genes but it was quite clear that with age she would only grow more and more beautiful until it would paralyse him, most likely. But never – _never_ had he thought her to be even more than ridiculously good looking. That would require a certain type of attraction, an attraction he wasn't willing to admit that he had. He could just _feel_ his cheeks turn rosy and decided that now would be best to leave the room. Before anyone noticed.

"I should put these away." He murmured, brushing past his mother quickly and marching out of _her_ presence, and deciding that he was going to leave all of _those_ slightly shocking and incredibly annoying revelations behind him. He'd deal with them later, he was sure.

/ / /

Pansy and Daphne arrived at half one the following Wednesday and it was evident that Pansy's mother was worried, to say the least, if her overly frilly dress was anything to go by and the obvious attention that was put on making the two plaits in her hair as equal as possible and as a nice flourish, two rather live flowers stuck to either hair bobble. Her hair was nearly shiny with no-move hair spray and she smelt of sickly sweet perfume.

Still, Astoria gave her best smile and greeted the two visitors cheerily, kissing her sister on both cheeks and stifling a grin when Pansy attempted to go in for the same. "We'll be out in the gardens." She announced. "Supper will be served at six and we'll be dining on the patio. Lucius and Narcissa are out on business." Or so they had told Astoria. "They won't be returning until the late hours, but they do wish us a pleasant afternoon." With a grin, she nodded stiffly. "Follow me, then."

Fortunately for Astoria, Pansy was silent as they roamed through Malfoy Manor, too absorbed in its beauty to make any ear piercing comments. Daphne had linked an arm through her sisters and seemed perfectly content in drinking in the moment as if her school mate wasn't even there. "Will Draco be joining us for supper?" Daphne asked lightly, appearing to notice his absence for the first time.

"I'd hope so, yes." Astoria responded with a frown. "He's not exactly thrilled that the house will be overrun with girls but he'll have to eat sometime and he's never particularly fond of talking to the house elves."

"I do hope he joins," Pansy sighed almost dreamily. The sound of her voice sent Daphne a foot in the air with alarm.

"I forgot you were here!" She crowed, swatting the air around Pansy's shoulder.

Pansy smiled gently. "I was just admiring." She explained smoothly. "It's very beautiful architecture."

"Well I'd hope so."

"Ah," Astoria murmured with a sardonic grin. "So the prince of the house decided to grace us with his presence. We're all honoured, Draco."

"I only came down for a drink." He descended the final few stairs and Astoria resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his obvious lie. "I also need to speak with you." Pansy's head snapped up with hope that perhaps, just _maybe_ he wanted to speak with her. But apparently he still hadn't discovered his undying love for her because he was staring at his betrothed. Draco lulled some words in French that Pansy didn't have the capacity to understand but all she knew was that he sounded absolutely fantastic while speaking it.

"Alright." Daphne answered and it took a moment for Pansy to realise that she was answering what Draco had just said – or more than likely asked. "Come on, Pansy." How she desperately wanted to object! But instead of following her head, she allowed Daphne to take her gently by the arm and drag her through that magnificent house.

"What is it you needed to speak with me about that couldn't have been said this morning?" Astoria asked when the two girls turned the corner. Draco stepped down further, walking slowly into the light. He fiddled with his hair a little, which he made a point of keeping un-styled as a silent protest to his objection of Astoria having _friends_ for supper. What about him? His father had laughed in his face when he suggested also inviting Crabbe and Goyle. Apparently he just trusted Draco enough to leave him alone in the house with no adult supervision, but having those two gorillas? Lucius would simply not allow it. So, Draco had taken it upon himself to try and look his worst. He didn't slick back his hair as usual and he had decided that a pair of trousers and an undershirt would do him absolutely _fine_ as clothing. He decided to keep quiet that not having all those layers on actually made the heat quite bearable.

"What have you done to your hair?" Astoria asked quietly and Draco grinned wickedly. Now she would weep with embarrassment! "I like it like that." The smile dropped from Draco's face quicker than a bolt of lightning.

" _What?_ "

"I like it like that." Astoria repeated, taking a step closer, almost as if she was wanting a better look. "It makes you look more mature. More _your own_."

"What."

"You know," Astoria sighed heavily and swooshed a hand through the air "you look like your father when you have you hair back. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just that you look like a different person. Your own person."

"I – _okay?_ "

Astoria smiled, dimples and all and he blinked ferociously. "Feel free to join us, if you wish. We'll be sitting under the tree – you know the one. He did know the one, and it was rather unsettling the way that he didn't like the thought of having two other persons in the space that was exclusively _his and hers_.

"I'll be there in ten." Draco spoke through clenched teeth, determined to do whatever it took to fix whatever the _hell_ was wrong with him.

/ / /

I know, I know. Short and incredibly late. I apologise profoundly. I was in Bristol for a wedding for three days starting the twenty-eighth and I returned home on the thirty-first and I was hoping to get a chapter up when I got home but I only had one day before I went to Spain for two weeks where I was then hoping to get a chapter up _there_ but my cousin has shit awful internet. So again, I apologise. I'm also sorry for any spelling errors, I'm on the brink of leaving for an end-of-exam party with my friends and I wanted to have this chapter up before I left.

And I'm loving the responses I'm getting! They make me so unbelievably happy, I'm so glad that you're all enjoying this story! I'll try and have a new chapter up in the next week, for now, lovelies!


	11. Chapter 11

Pansy sat upon the faded pink of her bed sheets in a delirious state of shock. Her cheeks were tinted pink, as they had been for the past two and a half hours, and she just couldn't seem to catch her breath. Her mother thought her sick, sent her up to bed with the promise of soup at a later time and the order to sleep. But Pansy couldn't sleep, she barely even remembered how she got up the stairs or through the floor. She could vaguely recall bidding her goodbyes to the Greengrass sisters, stepping into the white marble fireplace, muttering her destination and dropping the powder at her feet; how her mother took a single look at her and ushered her to bed and her father barked a few selective words that fell on her deaf ears; and then she was in her bedroom, the hazy recollection of just floating up the steps and into her room, shutting the door and then there she was.

If she concentrated hard enough, she could hear the faint, angry murmurs of her father, growling loudly and furiously. What about, she wasn't sure but right now, she couldn't bring herself to care, either. Draco Malfoy had held her hand and then _kissed her_. On the _lips_. It all just seemed like a dream. A ridiculously wonderful, heaven filled dream. He had smiled, said that he'd see her on the way to school and left her behind, utterly dazed and light headed. Pansy had thought that occurrence out many times in her head prior to it actually happening and _Merlin_ was it far better than she expected. It was the perfect way to end the summer, and an even better way to solidify the fact that this was the person she _really_ wanted to spend the rest of her life with. If only it weren't for one particular obstacle.

/ / /

Astoria awoke early on the morning of September first with an unexplainable bad, uneasy feeling. Unable to pin it down to a specific cause, she penned it to first day back nerves. The sun was up and birds were chirping, but with it being summer Astoria also couldn't tell exactly how early it was; perhaps the sun had just risen and it was the small hours of six in the morning or perhaps it as a little later, maybe half past seven and Narcissa was seconds away from tinkling into her room, drawing back the curtains and bidding her a very cheery good morning. It was more than aggravating, finding two things that you were unable to tell or explain within seconds of rising. She rolled over onto her stomach, burying her head into the crevasse of her elbow and sighed, attempting to will herself back to sleep. She could not hear anyone moving around and she could not smell the elves brewing coffee, so it must have been just after sunrise.

Minutes dragged past and Astoria still found herself in the land of the fully-conscious. Untangling her limbs from the bed sheets and kicking them to the ground, she sat up and stared blearily at the wall. She missed having a personalised touch, her room back at Greengrass Estate littered with photos of family and happy times. Even in Greece the shared room she co-inhabited with Daphne was personalised, drawings and sketches both girls had completed pinned up proudly and large, panoramic pictures of the entire Greengrass family hung in goblin-made frames, one for each year she and Daphne had visited from Summer and even some from before, the earliest being from when Daphne was a brand new thought, ungendered and unnamed, barely even showing.

She glowered at the wall with slight bitterness. Within the next thirty years, Malfoy Manor would be _hers_ , and yet it still felt slightly strange even thinking about asking if she could, perhaps, prop the picture she had of her, Daphne and her father on the bedside table. So she kept it under her pillow, like a naughty, highly disapproving secret.

More minutes passed and Astoria decided that it wasn't time well spend lounging in her night gown until collected. Taking matters into her own hands, she dressed quickly and sneaked out from her room. The pristine wooden floor felt chilly under her feet and a brisk glance at the old grandfather clock told her that there was at least an hour until Narcissa would be planning on waking the two youngest of the house.

"Missus!" An old, croaky voice squeaked. Astoria jumped and struggled to stay on two feet. "I did not mean to startle you, missus." The house elf lowered its voice and looked down bashfully. "Wallace is very apologetic, missus." The elf's large, blue eyes swelled up with tears and Astoria knew she was mere seconds from the beast sobbing loudly and more than likely wakening the entire house.

"It's okay, it's okay!" She whispered frantically. "It was only a small fright, really nothing to worry over, Wallace." The elf's trembling lip slowly ceased at the sincerity.

"Missus is so, _so_ kind!" Astoria began to highly doubt it, but she had seen the interactions between Lucius and his servants and realised that this probably was the most compassion the house elf had ever really been given. "As kind as Missus Greengrass is, Wallace would like to know why she is so kind this early in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep." Astoria answered simply. "I thought I'd spend the little time I have free reading." She eyed the elf with slight hesitance. "If that's alright, of course."

"It is not a problem, Missus!"

"So you won't need to alert anyone, then? Because what I'm doing is completely acceptable?"

Wallace studied Astoria, his already wrinkled forehead wrinkling even more. "Of course not, Missus." She smiled sweetly – or as sweetly as she could – and scampered through the halls and into the library, retrieving a book and scuttering back out, mentally cursing herself for not studying Lucius' waking habits.

The drawing room was cold when she walked in and made her curl her toes tightly as she walked, book clutched tightly in hand. She all but leapt into the armchair by the unlit fire, hoping that by seeing the grand fireplace vaguely behind the yellowing pages of her book it would deceive her mind into warming her quicker. Either it worked or maybe just having her feet tucked securely under her and away from the frost-like floor propelled her further into the heat. It was yet another thing that morning that Astoria was unsure of.

A faint _pop_ startled her from the mentally pleasing book of now extinct animals (the only picture book she allowed herself to enjoy) and she stared with revived alarm at Wallace. "Missus!" The elf crowed loudly. "Wallace is ever apologetic!" Thankfully, he was not near tears. "Wallace forgot to offer Missus tea. Clarence scolded Wallace, rest assured. Wallace, Clarence says, did you offer your Missus tea? Oh, how Wallace wailed! I did not, Clarence! I says. Clarence told Wallace that fifty strokes of the broom should make it all better." Astoria's eyes were now attracted to the self-inflicted gashes across the elf's stomach and she couldn't help but let out a startled gasp. "Wallace has come to right his wrongs, Missus, how I would be eternally gratefully if you could forgive –"

"Please," Astoria whispered lowly, folding away her book, slipping from the armchair and kneeling on the ground "please never harm yourself in this way again." Wallace blinked at her and it took Astoria a small second to get used to being the same height as the vermin servant. "Promise me, Wallace." She was unsure as to why the physical beatings of a beast was getting to her in such a way and why her mouth insisted on spewing out attempted promises. "Never harm yourself when I am present in this household. I can't." Astoria stopped speaking and pursed her lips, giving her head a small shake.

"Wallace promises." Astoria stared, wanting to know that the promise would be kept fulfilled. She hoped, prayed, even, that it would be, but Lucius Malfoy's hatred of all things not what he deemed normal ran too thickly in his veins for her to be certain.

"I could do with some water."

Without another word, Wallace disappeared from the room and she slumped, sighing heavily. "Merlin's sake, Astoria," She huffed, collecting herself with as much dignity as she could muster and collapsing heavily into the depths of the armchair. Picking up the book, she attempted to get lost in the tales of the Bazzarth but her eyes seemed to be refusing to concentrate. They didn't need to for any longer, as without any warning the door opened and a feminine gasp filled the room.

"Astoria!" Narcissa held a hand to her chest and her eyes were wide. "What are you doing up? Are you feeling feverish?" She paced across the room and with the back of her hand, took Astoria's temperature.

"I'm feeling fine," Astoria murmured, closing her eyes momentarily and allowing herself to be swaddled by a motherly figure. "I just couldn't sleep no longer." A smile spread across Narcissa's features and she stroked her temperature taking hand back through Astoria's hair.

"Are you excited to start your second year?" Narcissa murmured, seeming to settle into contentedness.

"Something like that."

"I used to be the same when I was younger," Narcissa recalled fondly. "My sisters used to hate me for it. I was always up first, lighting a candle in their faces and insisting that they join my happiness, too. Needless to say they just became all the more grumpy." Narcissa shook her head and beat the fondness she bore on her face into the ground. "Anyway, that should be enough dwelling on the past." A smile flittered across her face and Astoria could see that it was not at all genuine. "You will keep safe, won't you?" Narcissa asked out of the blue, causing a deep frown to sketch its way onto Astoria's face.

"Hogwarts is the safest place I know." She answered honestly.

Narcissa nodded, shut her eyes and released a slow breath. "I just worry." Astoria needn't ask what for. The news of the first ever escape of an Azkaban prisoner had shook the entire wizarding world, and she knew that if it could tremble the Greek society even just the slightest bit then the fall out in Wizarding Britain must have been gigantic. Safiya had been particularly on edge, flinching at the slightest unexplained noise and doubling up on security. She had, apparently, according to Blaise, willingly shipped him to Violeta when she went on a school book run. It was odd that she would entrust a women such as Astoria's mother with her most prized possession when she had control over it to complete a task that took her no longer that an hour, and even odder when Violeta had took Blaise in without a fuss. Blaise suspected that she liked having someone for baby Nadia to coo at so she could get a few moments of peace but Astoria wasn't sure. Daphne jumped right aboard Blaise's ship, thinking it to play right into the character of their mother but Astoria was certain that there was something more to it, she wasn't sure how – she just called it a gut feeling.

While Astoria had seen no precautions taken by the Malfoy's (they already had the best security system going, long before Sirius Black managed to smuggle his way out from Azkaban), it was evident that Narcissa was on edge. She had her suspicions of Lucius, too, but there was no evidence to strictly confirm it. Astoria understood as best as she could, picturing Ajax imprisoned in a confined space with dozens upon dozens of Dementors, slowly spinning him into madness for thirteen years and suddenly breaking out, on the loose. She would be on edge, too.

"I –" Astoria took a second to consider saying what she wanted. "I'm not scared of him. Sirius Black, I mean." Narcissa peered down at her curiously, probably thinking her insane. "I know I should be. But I'm not. Not even a little, not even secretly. I think of Sirius Black and I feel nothing. Everyone's scared, they all shiver at the mention of his name – even you, and I'm sorry for being so, so bold, but you are his family and you tremble with fear at the sound of his name." Astoria leaned back, a fierce recognition that she could be struck for this, but Narcissa stood stonily still. "Maybe – Narcissa, am I mad?"

"In every sense of the word." Narcissa responded automatically. "But that isn't a dreadful thing. It keeps you lively, fresh, characteristic – Astoria, it keeps you you."

/ / /

"Are you alright?" Daphne asked for the umpteenth time, placing a comforting hand on her sisters shoulder. The train shook slightly as it edged around the corner and Astoria's stomach lurched, she clenched her eyes shut.

"I just don't feel right." She answered simply, prying her eyes back open as to not arouse suspicion.

"Don't feel right _how_?" Daphne pressed, giving Pansy a quick, reassuring smile, pretending to still be enthralled in whatever she was talking about. "Do you feel sick?"

"No. I - I don't know."

Daphne grimaced and shifted ever so slightly towards the compartment door and away from her potentially ill sister. "You're unsure if you feel like you're about to vomit?"

"I'm positive I'm not about to vomit. I'm unsure about what I'm feeling." The train lurched again and Astoria gripped tightly at the bench, knuckles turning pasty white. "The weather isn't helping much either. I just feel like something bad is about to happen."

"Something bad," Daphne deadpanned, beyond the point of caring whether Pansy knew she wasn't listening. "Would you care to elaborate, sister?"

"I would if I knew. I just feel on edge. And slightly warm at my ears. My skin feels prickly, like I have goose bumps and it's been like this since early this morning. Did you know I woke myself? Sometime around six." Astoria licked at her lips and stared through the rain soaked window. She picked a particularly large raindrop and counted down the seconds until it reached the window pain. The train shook again.

"It's probably nothing," Daphne dismissed, her tone deceiving her as she sounded slightly apprehensive and stared at her younger sibling with curious eyes. "It wasn't Malfoy, was it?" Daphne asked after a few long seconds. Astoria turned with her brows furrowed and nose scrunched. "Did he do something? Say something? Did he do anything at all to make you feel like this?"

"Daphne, he's just a boy. He's not some evil warlock who poisoned my morning toast. In fact, I'm certainly certain on the fact that Draco would never harm a single person. He's like a dog who barks at all the other dogs through the window, but as soon as he's outside he's diving for cover."

"He's all bark and no bite."

Astoria clapped her hands together once and nodded. "Exactly."

A rumble of thunder rolled over the train loudly and the lights flickered for the briefest of seconds and for the first time since they boarded the train, Pansy stopped talking. "Spooky." Astoria muttered, leaning further back into the cushioning of the bench, wishing it silently to embrace her tightly.

"It's just the weather," Daphne huffed as if answering a question that nobody asked. "I mean, it's England, what are we expecting? The weather here is always rubbish, can we really expect –"

A violent chill ran down Astoria's spine and the lights flicked off, only this time it was permanent. She thought she could hear the screams of people further down the carriage – or was she screaming? Maybe Daphne? Pansy? Millicent? Tracey? Astoria wasn't sure. The droplets of raindrops she had been racing froze still to the window glass and a light sheet of frost tampered with her vision outside of the train. Her joints felt stiff with the cold and she felt a very heavy longing for her mother. It flared up unexpectedly like someone had just lit a candle. She yearned for her mother's touch and the world turned grey around her at the thought that she _wasn't going to get it_. Violeta, as she had been told many times before, didn't care much for her children. Astoria didn't have the same fond memories of her mama like Blaise did with his, or Pansy with hers. Violeta never read stories, she didn't pin up silly little scribbles on her wall proudly, there was no outings to parks, she was never in attendance to the babyish little shows Daphne and Astoria would make up just for fun, there was never any thoughtful Christmas or birthday gifts.

Astoria's insides mellowed and a flame shot through her stomach as her mind chanted _she doesn't love you, she doesn't love you, she doesn't love you_ rhythmically and there seemed to be no way of getting it to stop. She worried briefly for Nadejda, just a small baby with the burden of a mother who would eventually let her down. But _no_ , she thought fiercely, Nadia had already been shown much more love and affection that she was certain she was ever shown. Violeta couldn't wait to sell off Astoria to the highest bidder – the ring on her left hand was evidence enough of this. In a flurry of white, hot rage, Astoria tore the ring from her finger and dropped it to the ground. It didn't help, she was still engaged at the young age of twelve, she still had a destiny that she couldn't change, she was still an almost-orphan, she still went unloved by her mother.

She released the breath she couldn't recall holding and a small puff of chilled fog erupted from her mouth, spreading outwards until it was no more. She rubbed her hands together, attempting to find any source of warmth but to no avail. "-Storia? Astoria?" It took a few seconds to register that the quiet, alluring voice had been that of her sisters, calling her back to reality. Blinking hastily, she turned and looked to a pale faced Daphne and she wondered if she, too, was equally as pale. "Astoria? You spaced out." The sound of Daphne's voice was grating, at best. It sounded dull, bleak and slightly nasally and it had never been more unattractive. Astoria hummed lowly and looked around her. The lights still weren't on and the heavens were still open and sending droplets or rain crashing to earth. The clouds were still stormy and if she looked close enough, she could see very distant flashes of lightening. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She shuddered at the sound of her own voice, scratchy and slightly horrific, almost as if she had just suffered from a nasty sore throat and cough. Even with the altercation to her voice, her tone still managed to come out in a rush and a hasty snap, making sure that Daphne knew not to ask the same question again.

Her heart still felt considerably heavy and her eyes stung with permanent unshed tears. The world still seemed to be a little bleaker, even when the carriage lights turned back on and the train rumbled back to life. She still felt lousy and her heart felt strained when the Trolley lady scraped open the compartment door with a large slab of chocolate in hand and broke it into squares, handing one to each of the compartment occupants with orders from a Professor Lupin to eat them. Her joints still felt unnaturally stiff when she handed her piece to Millicent to devour and she ignored the disappointed look from Daphne. But despite all this, that uneasy feeling that had become a part of her since the young hours of that morning had finished and Astoria had a sneaking suspicion that the ordeal she just went through had everything to do it.

/ / /

She didn't eat much at the feast and left for bed early, staring up at the ceiling of Daphne's dorm, listening as her sister pottered around, humming happily as she dressed for bed. Astoria was silently thankful that Daphne insisted that they share a bed and didn't say anything more about it, she never gave a reason and she gave her no room to fit in an argument.

"Daphne?" She murmured when her sister had crawled into bed in her night gown and drawn the curtains.

"Yes?"

"When the Dementors were on the train," she started softly, silently thankful that none of Daphne's other roommates had retired to bed "did you think of anything?"

"Yes." Daphne answered curtly. "I – I couldn't stop thinking of papa. How he's never coming back. That we won't have anyone to walk us down the aisle when we wed because he's not here. He'll never see our children – I couldn't stop thinking like that." Through the softly illuminated space, Astoria could see the vibrant hurt her sisters face portrayed.

"I thought of mother." Astoria stated bluntly. "She doesn't love us, does she?" Daphne didn't answer and when a few minutes of silence passed, she assumed that either Daphne wasn't so sure herself or she didn't want to have to admit it out loud, whatever her answer may be. Astoria resigned into the internal ache she still felt, pressing a hand over her chest to keep herself sure that she wasn't dying like she had contemplated briefly. She could feel her heart beat slowly, rattling softly against her ribcage and nudging lightly at her hand.

Just as she was about to doze off, the door shut loudly and Pansy's girlish, ear piercing giggles tarred Astoria's hope for sleep.

"Seriously, Pansy!" She could hear Tracey sigh with expiration. "I really don't know what's wrong with you. You've been acting… _strange_ lately and I –"

Pansy let out an airy laugh and Astoria felt instantly what Tracey had proclaimed. Pansy Parkinson – the _real_ Pansy, anyway – would have went in a stroppy huff for Tracey's allocations, but this imposter _laughed_. A classic tell-tale sign that Pansy was being held prisoner and was being impersonated by a sick, twisted individual drinking copious amounts of polyjuice. Astoria edged closer to the middle of the bed, careful not to make a single sound. "I'm just happy!" 'Pansy' proclaimed. Hah, Astoria thought with a sneer, the _real_ Pansy as never happy. Just really annoying. "Really, really happy, Trace, so unbelievably happy that it really kind of hurts."

"That doesn't sound healthy."

"I don't think it is," 'Pansy' admitted with a wistful sigh.

"Bit weird, though, isn't it?" Millicent's voice was gruff as ever and it shocked Astoria slightly as she registered her presence for the first time. "It's like you sucked Daph's happiness from her. Since the Dementor she's been really down." Astoria wasn't sure if she imagined Daphne's side of the bed tense something horrendous.

"Nothing compared to poor Astoria though, huh?" Astoria jolted slightly, furious at Tracey, a worthy of nought halfblood, for even daring to try and throw pity at her. She stopped herself quickly. "Poor dear's still in a fragile state." Astoria ground her teeth together.

"Yes," Pansy responded dryly "poor, unfortunate Astoria."

There was a few seconds of silence. "That was surprising." Tracey noted. "I thought you were fond of the miniature Greengrass?"

"She's become something of a complication, is all," Pansy said flippantly.

"What _has_ gotten into you?" Tracey admonished. "Wasn't it only last week you were gushing about her in letters because she got you access into the Malfoy Manor?"

"Yes." Pansy sniffed and Astoria could imagine her checking her nails without a care in the world. "She got me in there, but what happened I made for myself."

"Oh, Merlin," Tracey breathed "something happened between you and Draco, didn't it?" Pansy's silence spoke antagonizing volumes.

"You know me, Trace, I don't kiss and –"

"You kissed him!"

"Would you keep your voice down?" Even in her scathing tone, Astoria could hear the grin in her voice. "Yes, I kissed him – or he kissed me. I'm unsure, but it happened."

"Pansy!" Tracey squealed lowly.

"But isn't he engaged to Daphne's –"

"To Astoria?" Pansy cut in with an irritated grumble. "Yes, I'm perfectly aware. And I honestly thought I could overlook it but watching the two of them together makes me nauseous."

"You can't exactly stop –"

"And why can't I?" Pansy demanded furiously and Astoria could just picture Tracey taking a frightful step back at her friends tone. Surprisingly, the equal ferocity in Tracey's voice as she next spoke rendered all that Astoria had pictured wrong. "Because, Daphne said so herself, the arrangement is set in stone. There is nothing – and I repeat _nothing_ – that can be done to stop Draco from marrying Astoria."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" The chilling nature of Pansy's voice was far beyond her years. "Come on, Millie, let's sit down in the common room." Astoria listened as two pairs of feet fled the room. There was a static silence that seemed to follow where Tracey stood unbearable still.

"Don't listen to her," Tracey spoke softly and Astoria began to wonder if she was talking to herself but before she knew it, Daphne was up on her knees and drawing back the drapes to her bed.

"How did you know we were here?" She wondered curiously. "We were perfectly still. Incredibly silent. How did you know?"

A small smile spiked up the corners of Tracey's mouth. "Unless you've gained the need to shed two sets of school uniform, one being noticeably smaller even with folded, Daph." Her eyes followed Tracey's to the two primly placed school uniforms that were side by side in plain sight. "Don't fret, Pansy and Millicent, while I love them both dearly, are incredibly thick skulled. I don't even think they would have noticed if the drapes weren't drawn back."

Daphne let out a soft snort. "Yeah," she agreed quietly.

"And I meant what I said, Astoria. Don't listen to Pansy." A chill ran through Astoria's spine as Tracey addressed her like an equal. "There isn't a single thing she can do to break your arrangement." Tracey seemed to study Astoria's face for a few seconds before she quietly added; "whether you take that as a good thing is completely up to you." With that, she turned on her heal and enclosed herself in the bathroom.

Daphne redrew the drapes. She got comfortable again and let out a short, harsh sigh. "She doesn't love us." Was the last thing she muttered before she rolled over, back facing Astoria's form as she attempted to sleep. Astoria blinked up at the ceiling. While Daphne didn't specify what she was speaking about, she had a chilling feeling that she was answering the unanswered question from earlier. If at all possible, her heart got heavier.

/ / /

"Astoria, are you sure you're alright?" Rose asked attentively, placing a caring hand on her forearm.

" _Why_ does everyone keep asking me that?" Astoria snapped, slapping at Rose's hand and turning her entire body to give her History of Magic notes her complete attention.

"Because you look –" Rose teetered off into silence at the black look she received. "Actually, no, I'm going to say it." Rose decided boldly. "Astoria, you look really sick. You – Look at you! You're really pale, unhealthily so. And you can barely write because your hands are trembling – have you seen Pomfrey?"

"No, because Pomfrey only sees sick people and _I am not sick_." She gripped at her quill tighter, not willing to show the fact that saying a sentence with that much heat had knocked the breath out from her. Taking shallow breaths she began writing again.

 _In 1878, the then Minister for Magi_

"Astoria."

 _c declared it legal for_

"Astoria."

 _Students to perform magic out with school as long as_

"Astoria?"

 _they were of a certain age which was set as seventeen, seen as the year witches and wizard_

"Professor!" Astoria lifted her head from her book and glowered at Rose's beet red face. Professor Binn's stopped mid-lecture to stare at Rose with as much irritability as his ghost-like self could muster. "Look at her!" Rose yelped, pointing at Astoria viciously. The students of the class who weren't looking before certainly were now and a few sharp gasps sounded.

"What?" She asked timidly, put off entirely by the reaction.

"Miss Rosier, please assist Miss Greengrass to the infirmary."

"I don't _need_ –"

"You're _bleeding_ , Astoria." Rose whispered, gripping at Astoria's wrist and bringing it to just under her nose. Sure enough, she could feel a puddle of sticky liquid slowly dripping down from either nostril. "And there's some at your ears, too."

"Some at my – oh."

"Miss Greengrass, whenever you're ready." Binn's drawled and reluctantly, she got to her feet with a slight stumble.

"Whoa, easy does it." Rose hissed, catching her by the elbow. "You're really unwell, huh?" She asked lowly as Astoria gripped back. An irritated look quickly sent Rose quiet. She took a cautious step forwards and hit the floor with a sickening thump, eyes sliding shut and the harsh ringing in her ears drowned out the collective gasps of her classmates.

The room was all too bright when she opened her eyes, so bright, in fact, that she shut her eyes instantly and just to be on the safe side, she clamped her hands over her upper face. "You awake, Azzy?" And that _couldn't_ be Draco, could it? What would Draco be doing in a second year History of Magic class? Unless she wasn't – "Because I'm supposed to tell Pomfrey when you wake." She groaned a little, not feel energised enough to actually try and communicate. "Do that again if you can hear me." She complied. "She's awake!" Draco hollered and Astoria whined finding his voice to be entirely too loud and far too annoying.

"Keep your voice _down_ , Mr Malfoy, can't you see she's sick?" Pomfrey's voice was harsh and in her reluctant fragile state, it made Astoria cower back into the soft cushioning. When Pomfrey spoke again, she was close and ordering Astoria to open her mouth and that she was going to have to eat whatever she stuck in her mouth. The mystery medicine was squared on her tongue and seemed to – seemed to taste like _chocolate_? Hesitantly, she enclosed her mouth around it and sucked. It sure tasted like chocolate, but as far as she knew, chocolate was the remedy for nothing but a child-like sweet tooth.

"Now, Miss Greengrass." The ringing in her ears had come to a stop and she could feel the dark hollow in her chest lighten significantly. "I am more than aware of the… _unwelcomed_ presence on the train upon your arrival here – no, no, no, don't speak just yet, just keep eating – and I am also aware of Professor Lupin's directions to the trolley lady to issue a single square of chocolate to each and every student. Did you receive some? Nod for yes, dear." Astoria nodded slowly and swallowed the now melted chocolate thickly. Another square was thrust into her mouth. "I can only assume that, for some reason, you did no eat yours. Correct?" She nodded once again. "I thought as much." She could hear the patron move around, the fabric of her uniform swishing as she shuffled. "You should be perfectly fine now, Astoria." Pomfrey reported. "All you had was side-affects from your Dementor encounter that went untreated and festered. The bleeding can be explained from their presence still being around, even with the distance. Those vile things weakened your body in the first place and if you had eaten the chocolate given (Astoria didn't need to look at her to know that she was more than likely scowling heavily) you would not have been further damaged by them."

"So I'll live?" Astoria asked dryly.

"To sum it up, yes."

"Hah," Astoria sneered weakly "still stuck with me, Malfoy."

Pomfrey didn't know what she was referencing and she wasn't sure if she wanted to, either. "Eat the rest of the chocolate in this bowl and you can leave in an hour. In fact, Malfoy, the departure time applies to you, also."

"Has my sister been told?"

"The older Miss Greengrass has been informed, yes. Furious isn't the word to describe how she reacted when advised by Professor Snape that she should attend all of her lessons before returning to your bedside." There was a short pause in which Astoria could only guess that she was checking on the time. "She should be here before you depart."

"Thank you," Astoria mumbled.

"I'm only doing my job, dear, but next time do as advised and hopefully we will not meet like this again." More footsteps sounded and then the soft click of a door.

Astoria peered through her fingers and when content with the lightening, she uncovered her eyes fully. She turned her head to the left and then the right, raising a brow at the bed ridden Draco. "Did you become so sick with worry about my state that Pomfrey admitted you, too?" She leered with a sardonic smile.

"No," he answered sharply and caressed his bandaged arm "I was mauled by a vicious beast."

"A – do I even want to know?"

"A hippogriff, to be exact." Astoria jumped, slightly startled by Pansy's voice and being alerted to her for the first time. She sat by Draco's bed, almost completely concealed by his upright form. "That half-breed Hagrid thought it would be a good idea to throw us –"

"Did you tell your father, Draco?" Astoria interrupted quickly.

"One step ahead of you." It struck Astoria as slightly baffling to see how quickly Pansy submitted into silence without so much as a scoff. "He's appealing to get that thing slaughtered and that beast imprisoned."

"Good." Astoria nodded her head firmly. "And I _told_ you not the take Magical Creatures. Didn't I tell you? I specifically remember saying that you should take something that requires more intellect. Like Arithmancy or Ancient Runes."

"I suppose you'll be taking that, then?" Draco asked with a condescending frown.

"Yes."

" _My_ dad would never let me take Ancient Runes." Pansy added her input and Astoria tried to recall asking for it. "He says that it's a dead language."

"Really? Well, my Grandfather can read it fluently and he has many books written in only Runes that I, for one, can't wait to read." She wasn't terribly sure why she was overcome with a sudden surge of bitterness directed towards someone who had more than likely been keeping her betrothed company during his recovering injury while she lay immobile and unresponsive on a bed. She forced a smile onto her face, hoping not to sound as bitter as she obviously felt. "Anyway," she dismissed "your father didn't even want you to take the subjects that you picked. He said they were not even worthy of a females time."

"What's done is done."

"Done without much thought, is for sure, but who am I to complain?"

"Precisely. Now, if you could move off the topic of my education that would be _lovely_."

"Anything for you, my dear." Astoria puckered her lips at him, kissing the air and then busied herself with starting on her bowl overflowing with chocolate. "Are you not allowed your mother and father to visit you, Draco?" She asked, spiked with weirdness that Narcissa would go about her daily business with her only son and most prized possession cooped up in the infirmary.

"You got her tickets to that fashion show, didn't you?" It was clear that he tried not to let the absence of his parents get to him. "My father suggested that they depart a week early and make a holiday out of it. They mentioned something about meeting with your Aunt's half way between Greece and France, wherever that is."

"It'll be Italy. And it's nice that they're getting together, I was getting fed up of Indira's constant questions about your mother's health. She seemed to really like her – they both did. My grandmother can't wait to meet her."

"I didn't know you had a grandmother."

"Of course I have a grandmother, everyone has a grandmother. Why wouldn't I have a grandmother?"

"You just never speak about her."

"Would you like me to? Her name is Annaleen Greengrass. Her maiden name was Gregorry, she was the last of her line. She was born in Greece and has dark brown eyes and black hair. Ajax is her lest favourite grandchild – understandable, really – and Cassie is her favourite. Her favourite colour is –"

"I think that's enough." Draco cut in blandly and Astoria smiled and stretched out her legs.

"Will you hex anyone that says anything about me fainting in Binns' class?" Astoria asked with the flutter of her eyes.

"I think I'll probably join in."

"I mean, rude."

"Classes should be over soon." The spike of irritability in Pansy's voice brought on a sick satisfaction that settled itself in Astoria's stomach. "I expect that Daphne will be making her arrival soon enough." Pansy got to her feet and wiped down the front of her uniform. "I suppose I'll see you in the common room later, then." Astoria could tell that this was in no way directed at her so just to be annoying, she nodded. Pansy took no notice and appeared to hobble on her feet for a few seconds, peering down at Draco like she had never seen him before. Abruptly, she left the hospital wing without further word.

"She doesn't like you talking to me, you know." Astoria said flippantly, biting off the corner of a chocolate square.

"Who?"

"Oh, Madam Pomfrey. She's fancied you for _ages_ and – Pansy, you moron. Please don't tell me that you didn't see how she was acting while we were talking?"

Draco frowned intensely and sat himself straighter with his apparent good arm. "She doesn't like me talking to my fiancée. I – I can see the logic, I really do. I'm just going to need you to _explain_ it to –"

"She didn't mind before, when we spoke, but that was because you two hadn't kissed." Draco's face didn't portray that of shock like she had hoped nor did he immediately apologise. "You didn't tell me. I overheard Pansy tell Tracey about it last night, I heard about it second hand." He simply raised a brow and didn't offer any explanation. Astoria sighed. "I thought we were fends." She murmured, looking at her cloth covered lap and fiddling with her chocolate stained finger tips.

A cruel laugh fell from his lips that filled her heart with ice. "Do you expect me to tell you everything I get up to? Merlin, Astoria, if it weren't for the arrangement our mother's made when you were but minutes old I never would have recognised you."

"But it did happen. Our mother's did make an arrangement when I was but minutes old. You _did_ recognise me. And you know what? We _are_ friends, whether you like it or not because this thing we've got going will be a whole lot worse if we're not. I don't have friends, I've never had friends and I can get by like that, but you? You have Crabbe and Goyle who you _don't even like_ but you keep them around because they're convenient, because if you didn't have them you'd be lonely like me only you can't stand it like I can. You don't have siblings or thirteen cousins who can fill the void of friendship – you're a lonely child, Draco. We're more alike than you give use credit for and if it weren't for that unwanted arrangement our mothers made for us you'd be lonely for the rest of your life." Dangling her legs down from the bed, Astoria slid off and picked up the bowl of chocolate. "Tell Pomfrey I'm fine." Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she stropped out of the infirmary.

/ / /

Summer slowly slipped into autumn, the leaves switched from their vibrant green to a more mellow orange; the winds became stronger – only slightly so – and much, much cooler; the Dementors still lurked by the gates, casting a chilly frost over all that lived beneath its path; Sirius Black still roamed the world, at large and apparently lethal; and Astoria had kept her distance from Draco since early September. Not only was she now a little embarrassed by her outburst but she was also still incredibly mad that he had hurt her feelings and whether it was intentional or not, she didn't know, but perhaps it was as he had made no move to speak with her, either.

Pansy was back to her joyous self, no doubt in direct correlation with the Astoria-Draco absence. Daphne was none the wiser to Astoria's unhappiness with her own betrothed and, as expected, Blaise had known the second day into her silent protest. She had her suspicions that Rose, Bethan and Lacey were clued in entirely but keeping smartly quiet.

"I'll buy you something nice from Honeydukes. How about jelly slugs? You love them." Daphne, it was apparent, was on a natural high from her first ever Hogsmeade trip that was planned for the day ahead. Astoria as slightly sour about it, condemned to listening to happy tales of happy times that were lived without her. "Oh! Or hat about a blood lollypop? I heard some fourth years talking about them ast year – so they're really fifth years, now – but they said that they were _real_ yummy."

"Blood – Daph, no. I'm not a vampire, for Merlin's sake. Please don't get me anything containing bodily contents." Astoria pleaded with a slight grimace. "Jelly slugs will be just fine, I swear."

"Don't fret, dearest sister," Blaise slipped into the spot next to her with a charming grin "I'll get you something well worth your time. _I_ , for one, plan on visiting the joke shop. Zonko's isn't it called? I'll bring you something _far_ better than a few jelly slugs. How do you fancy a telescope?" Astoria frowned and Blaise beamed. "Although, if I were you, baby sister, I wouldn't take a gander through the looking hole. It punches you in the eye!" Blaise barked out a laugh. "Hilarious, isn't it?"

"I'm sure it will be," she murmured blandly

"You're not laughing." Blaise looked rather scandalised and his happy mood quickly disintegrated. " _Merlin_ , Ria, can you please kiss and make up because you're sense of humour is now _nothing_." Blaise stalked off in tremendous fashion and Daphne frowned intensely.

"Kiss and make up?" She repeated slowly with an incredible rate of confusion. "With whom are you arguing with, sister? You should know better that to put your nose in dirty, harmful business. It's almost as if you have forgotten about the little stunt you pulled with Jazmine at the Malfoy's. Another social scandal like that and I _assure_ you, Astoria, Safiya will have you removed from the limelight and placed into home schooling." She gritted her teeth together as her sister spoke and waited patiently for her to end her foolishness.

"It saddens me how little faith you have." Astoria examined her nails with very little interest. "What and who I have my business with is exactly _my_ business." She looked across the table with a face of sincerity in the form of a small smile. "I've got it under control, honest. And it isn't a brawl of a fight. Simply avoidance."

Daphne didn't look too sure. "Well, if you're certain." Astoria nodded and confirmed that she was, indeed, positive. Daphne forced herself to smile and it didn't quite reach her ears but it was a start. "I should probably get going, I don't want to be late. I'll buy you some slugs, okay?"

"Yeah, have fun!" Only when Daphne was fully turned away and parading down the hall briskly did Astoria allow herself to grimace. She turned to her friends and forced a lax grin. "So, while literally the rest of Hogwarts is out having fun, shall we explore?" Astoria proposed brightly.

"We explored last year on our first weekend here," Rose pointed out with a small frown "what's so different about now?"

"What's different, Rose, is that I had my sister breathing down my neck last year." Astoria looked around almost comically. "Daphne's gone. And anyone who would snitch to her is _also_ gone. I am a free woman!" She proclaimed with glee. "So, where shall we start?"

/ / /

Pansy was a little on the short side which made it a little awkward while holding her hand and Draco was certain that they looked at _least_ one shade of ridiculous. They had strolled around Hogsmeade for an hour, not daring to step into the overcrowded shops until they were certain that _this_ was the place where they wanted to spent their money.

"I think I might need a new cloak," Pansy pondered out loud as they passed Glad Rags for the second time that afternoon "this one looks a bit old. And I really don't think it suits me all that well." Draco glanced and agreed wholeheartedly on the inside. She was just to _small_ for such a cloak. It should belong to someone with more height and more to them. Disturbingly, the elder Greengrass came to mind as a good suitor for that particular piece. He began to wonder if perhaps it _was_ Daphne's, girls did that, didn't they? Borrowed each other's clothing items?

"I think the cloak looks nice," he lied with a shrug, because he had _heard_ of what it was like clothes shopping with a girl and there was no way he was being sucked into that personal hell, "and it suits you perfectly. Why don't we go into Honeydukes?" He prayed to the high heavens that she would not dwell upon the compliment – although, could it be considered a compliment if it a complete and utter lie?

"Aw," she cooed rather obnoxiously "you really think so?" Thankfully, she didn't give him time to lie again. "And do we really have to go into Honeydukes?" She had sped up her pace to match his, a sure sign that, possibly, she had decided to drop the idea of Glad Rags. "It looks so packed and it doesn't look like it's going to be slowing down anytime soon."

"I need to buy something for Astoria," he explained without much content to his answer. It wasn't a lie, he really _did_ need to buy something for her – an apology gift and a silent ' _you were right, I can't stand being alone and when you don't speak to me I feel pathetically isolated, so, mates again?_ '. He didn't miss the way Pansy's face fell and as a reaction, his fell too. "What?"

"I just don't think buying other girls gifts on a date is the epitome of manners, is all." Pansy gave a small shrug and Draco was _just able_ to supress his groan of annoyance. He really regretted calling this a date, now.

"But Azzy's not just any girl, now, is she?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound too irritated. "She's my fiancée. A category of her own and all that."

"Oh, I'm sure _Azzy's_ perfectly happy being held high on a pillar of her own," Pansy sneered and Draco frowned.

"Astoria's not like that." He was half tempted to take his hand back. "And there's no need to say her name like that –"

"I'm not saying _her_ name like that, Draco, I'm saying the pathetic pet name you've got for her like that."

"Pathetic – Pansy, you're being childish! I call her that because her mother calls her that and it really annoys her!" While that had been the origin story of her nickname, it sure as hell wasn't present. He called her that because _why the hell not_ , because it had actually stuck with him. Now, he didn't call her that to get a reaction, he'd call her that because it would roll off his tongue just as easily as 'Astoria', but he didn't expect Pansy to understand that. He wasn't even going to attempt to tell her. "Let's just drop this and get in there. A babyish argument over what I call my betrothed before stepping into a shop piled high with people isn't going to do anything for my growing mood."

/ / /

"I got you something." Astoria looked up at the pale, blonde headed irk with a frown.

"Leave us, please," she ordered quietly, splaying her fingers lazily at her friends. It took them mere seconds before they departed. "Take a seat." Draco took a seat.

"I got you a gift," he murmured, voice now an octave lower as he presented a Honeydukes bag at her. "An apology for making you upset." She took it hesitantly, silently with her eyes full of wonder. She peered into the paper and a flicker of the beginning of a grin started on her face. "It's also a you're right gift," he admitted awkwardly "about what you said. Actually, more like ranted."

"As per usual."

"Sure, let's say that." Astoria cocked a brow and Draco smirked. "And, because you're insistent on being my _friend_ , I now go out with Pansy."

"Ugh," Astoria grimaced "what on _earth_ possessed you to –" The common room doors slammed open with vigorous intent seeming to shake the entire structure of the small, cosy room.

"Sirius Black!" The intruder howled at the top of their lungs and everyone froze with utter horror. "Sirius Black broke into the Gryffindor Common Room! He was in the school!" A few first years yelped with terror and many broke out in gasps.

"Well," Astoria commented with a heavy sigh as she reclined into the leather of the sofa, "that was unexpected."


	12. Chapter 12

The hysteria over Sirius Black eventually smoothed over, well, as best as it possibly could, anyway. The early morning post was still at an all-time high, worried parents writing in daily to check up on their respective son and/or daughters wellbeing following the attack on Gryffindor's portrait hole. It felt like the Christmas season all over again, Astoria had frequently mused, as at least a single letter a day would arrive for her and be written in all Greek and she'd sit mulling over her breakfast with a translation dictionary next to her cooling porridge. She had even contemplated replying and asking if, perhaps, they could all send their seasons greeting early and save her the same cycle in the next few weeks but after being told that it would be considered rude and, quite frankly, despicable by Daphne she dropped all notions of the idea.

Pansy's new found distaste of Astoria had only seemed to grow stronger, especially after Draco had decided himself that it would be rather unwise of him to be seen sleeping by any other women other that his betrothed the night they all slumbered in the Great Hall. She took it upon herself to sleep at the other side of Astoria and huffed and puffed the entire night.

In tune with the growing darker nights, the weather took a turn for the worst. There wasn't a day in which anyone within the grounds of Hogwarts could recall a flitter of sunlight or find a patch of dry outside ground. The first Quidditch match of the season passed in a flurry of devastation and terror when unexpected visitors in the form of black cloaked horrors. Not a single person missed out on eating a square of chocolate – Astoria had learnt her lesson from before.

The common room was chilly, a gust of cold air sweeping in whenever someone entered or left. It left a fading and reappearing trail of Goosebumps crawling up Astoria's bare arms. She lived in denial of the passing summer and still chose to wear short sleeves, short dressed and open toed shoes. Daphne thought her to be crazy, Astoria really couldn't blame her. "So, you see, the French say the _item_ first and _then_ the colour. So, they'll say, in translation, apple red. So that would be _une pomme rouge_. Get it?" Bethan nodded slowly, her quill scratching against her parchment madly. "Many other languages do this, too, but we agreed for French focus just now."

"Wait, why did you say _une_ , if we aren't saying _an apple_ –"

"Sorry for interrupting, ladies." Astoria looked up with a glower at the intrusion and almost immediately her face lightened up into a grin.

"Nicolai. I – I don't think I've seen you since our first year! How have you been?" Nicolai smiled smoothly and sat by her other side, peering at her workings.

"I'm better now, I must say, Astoria. I couldn't help but noticing that you're studying French –"

"Tutoring," Astoria blurted abruptly, "I'm tutoring Bethan. I'm fluent in French, you see, and she's – well, she's not. I'm also fluent in other languages, too. Like Greek, Bulgarian, Russian and I know a little Spanish, too, but not very much." Her brows crinkled together in a hazy confusion, slightly embarrassed by her own word vomit. Luckily, Nicolai didn't seem to be entirely put off.

"You're very intellectual, I like that about you." He rose to his feet, brushed down his robes and flashed a seemingly effortless smile. "I'll see you around, Astoria."

"I – yeah, see you." She watched silently as he walked away, disappearing into the gaggle of Slytherin's like smoke, a furiously red heat clawing its way up her neck. She hung her head in her hands and let out a soft whimper. "That was so embarrassing."

Bethan let out a shrill laugh and nodded with wholehearted agreement. "I've never seen you blush so hard!"

"I am _not_ blushing." The blush on her face stated otherwise, however.

"Oh, not at all, your cheeks are just very, _very_ angry." Astoria scowled and Bethan grinned. "I can picture it now," Bethan sat back on her legs, quill and parchment piece abandoned in bid of splaying her hands with wonder and excitement, "Astoria Greengrass and Nicolai Avery; power couple of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Emboldened, italicized and a nice, big squiggle of a line underneath."

"Power – _no!_ " Astoria's hands instinctively wiped frantically at the air, almost as if she was desperate to clean Bethan's statement from the air permanently. "I – Merlin, I – _no._ Nuh-uh, not at all. No thank you." Bethan cackled with a malicious kind of glee at the obvious torture and undeniable uncomfortable nature of Astoria's present nature. "I think that's enough for today," she murmured, tugging awkwardly at the ends of her dress "your comment has stirred me unpleasantly. I'll need to sleep for a year to recover." She stood to her feet, smoothed her hands over the crumpled fabric, gathered her messy notes hastily and made an immediate, vast departure up the safety of the dormitory stairs.

/ / /

"So, you're allowing someone of a lower status to mock you freely, sister?"

Astoria jumped violently at the unexpectedness of the voice piercing through the lowly lit room. "For Merlin's sake, Blaise!" She scolded sharply, pressing a hand to her chest and feeling the racy beat of her heart. Blaise emerged lavishly from the shadows of the bookcase in which he hid, a lazy sort of patronising smirk settled upon his lips and a well-cared for brow was arched high in question.

"Well?" he pressed, "are you going to elaborate on what I heard your group of silly girls giggling about in your absence?" He gave her no time to answer, caught up in his own absurdly placed anger. He spoke so surely of how she was a _Greengrass_ and above all at school; that in terms of status and power, she held the most and continued to gain at a steady pace; he compared her to Narcissa unabashedly, proclaiming that they were familiars, despite her young age, and thundered on about how she would never allow anyone to speak ill of her; he expressed his outrage about how she would ever subject herself to –

"Oh, come off it!" She complained loudly, picking a book from the shelves and pressing it into his chest firmly. Blaise was silenced, chewing on his lower lip with a deep, familiar scowl that was so rarely placed upon her as he took the book into his own hands with a small degree of shock. "You – You preach me to be some sort of holy, unofficially proclaimed _God_ , but I am a child! You claim that they are below me and do not accept me as a friend, but if I am so high and mighty as you say, wouldn't they _want_ to be my friend? I am not your lap dog, brother. I am my own person who can make my own decisions. I want to enjoy my freedom before I am forced into a position I have no business in wanting, I do not want your guidance – not just now."

Blaise straightened as he tried to cover the guttural blow. "Alright," he answered stiffly with a short, brisk nod, "when shall you want it?" Astoria considered his question. She would never be ready, that was for certain but she also knew that Blaise had a particular set of skills she would need to obtain before she became Superintendent of the Posters, and who better to get them from that the person she knew knew her best?

"When I am Superintendent of the Juniors," she decided after minutes and gave a nod, as pleased as she could be with her decision, "yes," she mused "that should be round about my sixth year. That seems fair, don't you think?"

"If you say so, sister." Blaise was evidently a little bitter. "If you say so," he repeated quietly. Astoria smiled gratefully and took back the book she had gave him forcefully, putting it back where she had retrieved it from.

"Shall we go to breakfast? I reckon there will be a few people."

"Reckon Draco must be down there," Blaise murmured, extending his arm and striding both himself and Astoria from the common room when she held it "he often wakes early on Sunday's and goes to breakfast alone. I think it's because it's his only window where he can be free of Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy's a smart bloke, although it pains me to say it. I get a headache being in their presence for five minutes, poor sod's got them all day."

Astoria hummed lowly and nodded. "I have made my point very clear on what I think of his friends. I have no sympathy for him at all, if he craves any morsel of intelligence he can befriend Nott or even go it alone like you."

Blaise snorted and it echoed through the empty halls of the castle. "Not going to offer him your own hand?"

Astoria let out a shrill scoff and shook her head. "He has my hand in marriage, I'm sure that's enough for just now." The rest of the walk down to the Great Hall was filled with pleasant, slightly tainted awkward chatter that revolved anything they could possibly think of ("the autumn leaves looked especially nice this year, don't you think? I'll be sad to see them fall to the ground and into nothing." "Yeah, guess they were all right."). Blaise had predicted correctly, in amongst the very few students the filled the hall sat Draco at the far end of the table alone, a book leaning sloppily against a jug of some liquid that Astoria was just too far away to determine, cutting up whatever was on his plate with slow and natural precision. "Alright?" Blaise crooned before they had even reached the middle of the table but due to the lack of bodies, noise and all over sign of any other living being, Draco started, looked up and set down his cutlery, lifting up a hand in greeting. "Only pure and savage animals rise at this time in the dawn of the morn, Malfoy!" Blaise hollered loudly, perfectly content in slipping into the comfort of insults to not only Draco but every single wakened being around him. The little who surrounded them grumbled knowing perfectly well that Blaise was not a creature to be approached with any kind of discontent.

"Says a whole deal about you, Zabini, you're here too," Draco replied smoothly and instantly without so much as a second to think, the instinct to reply quickly and wittily ingrained into his existence, "or is that what you were aiming for? Cat-calling at me to slyly out your own woes? It's okay, I'm sure all of your many, many friends will support you in this time of need." He dampened the pad of his thumb with his tongue and flicked over the page of his book.

"Cat-calling?" Blaise repeated, taking a seat opposite his opposition and deciding to ignore the obvious jab at his friends – or lack thereof. "That would imply that I think you pretty."

Draco looked up, started at Blaise with cool iced eyes. "Don't you just," and apparently that was the end of that. Blaise guffawed silently to himself, reaching towards the toast rack and snatching a slice for himself and Draco resumed the cutting of the black pudding that was half opened. "You can take a seat," his eyes lifted momentarily to meet Astoria's, "it's a free table." She seemed to remember herself and took a step forward, stopping when the vision of Blaise ripping his slices of toast apart like a true savage and getting crumbs everywhere appeared before her. Pursing her lips in mild annoyance, she travelled the very short journey to the other side, taking a place to Draco's left. "He's eating like a brute," she explained to his unasked, not even thought of question.

"Why are you up, anyway? Less than ten hours turns you into a madam and a half." Blaise muttered something through his toast thickly that seemed to be an agreement to Draco's statement.

"Alright, so, one, I resent that accusation, and two, I just slept early." Astoria tugged her hair over one shoulder and poured cereal into a bowl unceremoniously. Her half-hearted at best focus was diverted by a series of male laughter erupted from the entrance. She turned to glare but very quickly stopped and gaped. There was Nicolai Avery, hair slightly dishevelled with sleep, his face a little zoned out but so _smiley_ that it made her want to smile too. His friends were the source of the noise, rubbing at Nicolai's shoulders supportively and hooting and crooning softly into his ears. He must have been the reason for the early morning hilarity. It made sense, she supposed, an unfair sort of sense because surely someone could not be that well-structured with looks _and_ be funny, too? Astoria stopped her train of thoughts before they could delve deeper into uncomfortable territory and glowered down at the dry cereal, yet to be drowned in milk. She began the process of contemplating whether drowning herself in milk would wash away the unnecessary thoughts of one Nicolai Lois Avery when said Nicolai Lois Avery called out her name enthusiastically. The words " _I am going to die_ " tumbled out from within her mouth before she could stop them and both Draco and Blaise stopped in their breakfast pursuing's to stare at her in their own odd way.

"Astoria!" Nicolai called out again and _oh Merlin_ was it her or did he sound a lot closer than before? She grabbed the jug that Draco's book was propped up against with both hands and poured the milk over her cereal quickly and looked up with a grin. She ignored Draco's bitter protests and set the jug back where she got it. Blaise was still staring at her oddly, this time with a little more vigour. "Nicolai, hey," she barely had to raise her voice for Nicolai had come to a stop at the opposite side of the table from her.

"You're up early," he noted, obviously the obtainee of a keen eye, too "everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," she said brightly, "what about you? Is everything fine with you?" picking up a spoon, dipping it into her bowl, she filled her mouth with cereal.

"Yeah, although I'm more concerned about you at this point," Astoria didn't have the heart to be confused because a peculiar blend of tastes met her tongue. The cereal itself as fine, just its usual wheat-like self, but the milk was thicker than milk should be. Maybe whole-fat? No, no, because no single type of milk had a – was that a hint of _pumpkin_ she could taste? Her eyes got caught on Blaise who had nabbed the jug of milk and began pouring into a glass while staring straight ahead, deep into her eyes, but all Astoria could see was orange coloured liquid running from the pitchers spout. Her heart froze and a white hot heat of embarrassment ran through her veins. "You just poured pumpkin juice into your cereal. Do you need glasses?"

Through physical pain, Astoria swallowed. "I have perfect vision, actually. And I – I actually like it that way." If she hadn't deterred Nicolai away with her weird and seemingly unstoppable mouth vomit before, that revelation definitely did. "Some people dip their chips into milkshakes, I take my cereal with my morning drink. Cuts down on calorie intake and all. It's surprisingly delicious." Much to her relief, a smile graced Nicolai's features.

"As delicious as I'm sure it is, I think I'll give it a pass." The smile didn't look like it was going to be moving anytime soon and Astoria's heart was beating so fast that she was rendered pathetically breathless. "I'll see you around," Nicolai re-joined his group of friends and Astoria was sure she could feel her soul begin the process of decomposing.

"That was exactly like watching Novelly and Carter collide in the world cup qualifiers all over again. Absolutely dreadful and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

"Don't compare me to a Quidditch match, Blaise," Astoria moaned, pouting down at her ruined cereal. "I'm going to have to eat this." Blindly, she grasped at Draco's recently abandoned fork and held it close to her face. "Death is the only way out of this," she proclaimed and Blaise exhaled harshly through his nose, wondering what on earth he did to deserve such a drama queen for a sister. He was a good boy, kept to himself, didn't blackmail nearly as much as he could and _sure_ there was a few problems of hexing and lightly maiming first years, but there was no long lasting damage! (Terry Wiggins physically trembling whenever they were in the same room together wasn't lasting, alright? The kid's just really nervous and not by Blaise's doing!) (Although hexing his arms so that they spun uncontrollably in Snape's presence definitely didn't help).

"I thought you said it was delicious?" Draco questioned, prying the fork from Astoria's grip and it was because that was his fork and he wanted to finish his breakfast, definitely not because the idea of Astoria harming herself in such a morbid way mad his stomach churn just a little, that would just be preposterous! Absurd! Completely inaccurate, is what it is!

"I'm a liar who lies because it tastes _awful_. Christmas of '87 terrible, Blaise."

" _No_."

"What's wrong with Christmas '87?"

"Yes!" Draco went unanswered.

"Well, I have a solution." Blaise reached across the table, swooped up Draco's book and let it fall carelessly into Astoria's bowl.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Zabini?" Draco howled, staring with defeated eyes at the soggy book.

"Guess you're just going to have to settle for toast, then, Ria," Blaise sighed with faux sympathy "and that was for saying that I think you're pretty."

/ / /

The days leading up to the Christmas holidays were fast approaching; the name of every Slytherin pupil who wished to depart and leave for home written on a two foot long scroll; trunks all half packed and sneaking closer to their dormitory doors with every item placed in clumsily; wonderfully smelling wreathes and dazzling Christmas trees dotted in various locations around the castle; there was no such thing as a ' _warm breeze_ ', all gusts of wind sure to set your shivering to the bone if not layered correctly; and all fire places in the castle roared with life and radiated a gentle, loving heat. Astoria had ditched the short, fashionable dresses and replaced them with the sort that made elderly ladies titter pleasantly about how self-respecting the youth were.

Blaise was still rather frosty and uncertain, not quite sure on how to react around someone who had outright rejected his seldom offered help. Draco had continued to juice his arms injury and while long out of the sling, still kept it unbent at his side and claimed that it hurt horrendously if reclined at less than a ninety degree angle. It was petty, childish and, quite frankly, rather brilliant. Astoria was rather sceptical if she should applaud him or smack his sore arm with a large, unforgiving book.

Things with Nicolai had not progressed nor had it fallen flat on its face – that is, it would have done so had there been anything _with_ Nicolai, of course, because no matter what Bethan, Lacey and Rose claim and do so loudly, there was nothing but friendship. At all. There was so much of nothing between them that when he had said morning to her on his way to breakfast earlier she gave him nothing more than a smile. She'd never admit that she panicked about that decision for the next ten minutes to anyone, because that would be plain embarrassing.

Upon her re-entrance to the common room that night from the dormitory stairs, Astoria bore witness to the single most greatest thing she could have hoped for at that time of night. Draco Malfoy sitting upon a lone armchair, blonde little head propped up on his left fist and reclined at an obviously acute angle and clenching at a peacock feather quill, his right arm while he peered rather contently down at a word search. Astoria could feel her insides brighten with menacing glee – this was her time to _shine_. The common room wasn't nearly as packed as she would like it to be, what, with the only other occupants than the two betrothed being a few sleepy first years keeping their eyes focused on the grandfather clock for the stroke of half twelve for their astronomy lesson, but it would have to do. An opportunity may never present itself so beautifully like this again.

Thinking on her feet, she balanced on one leg and detached a shoe. It was sturdy and had a bit of weight, white in colour so definitely noticeable in the smoky darkness and would hurt oh-so sweetly when hit against a face – all in all, the perfect object to throw and catch out a fraud. "Draco," She called out with a malicious grin, "think fast!" Using her previous experience in knife throwing (an absurd class she had great pleasure in taking during her classes growing up), launched her shoe at Draco's being. He caught it with his right hand, a look of pure and untainted panic stained on his features.

"You're mad!" He shrieked, seemingly not having noticed his mistake, and what a mistake it was. Astoria hooted and hollered, arms up in the air, flinging wildly side to side as she leapt from foot to foot in some sort of satanic circle.

"I knew it!" She cackled, dancing easing to a stop as her breathing became laboured and haggard at an embarrassing rate. "I so _knew_ it! I'm great, aren't I great?"

"Great at being an absolute _wench_ , yeah, suppose –"

"Your arm is completely _fine_ ," she lowered her voice considerately, because while outing him to herself was great and all part of the plan, outing him to the rest of the Slytherin population could either go really well and people applaud him for his malice or it go terribly and people re-harm it for his malice. Astoria didn't want to find out which. Draco paled, which is really saying something, and he tossed the shoe back clumsily. "I _swear_ , Astoria, if you –"

"Relax, relax," she soothed with the upwards curl of her lips "I won't tell a single soul, my mouth is sealed shut, I swear." She crossed her index finger over her middle in promise for extra effect. Glowering menacingly at the first years who stared with bleary, tired eyes, she strolled across the room and perched herself lavishly on the arm of the chair. "But my silence comes at a price."

Draco's eyes rolled so ferociously they actually hurt for a few seconds after. "Of _course_ it does,"

"Buy me something from Hogsmeade tomorrow on your trip," she leaned forwards with a bright beam, Draco would describe it the colour of gold to match the lump of galleons he had in a small satchel up in his dorm "my lips will close in accordance to my satisfaction." He reclined his head back and groaned lowly, staring up at the high raised ceiling.

"And what, pray tell, would you like?"

"I can't tell you that, it would ruin my game."

He rolled his eyes heavily again. "You're stupid, and so is your game." Draco stood swiftly and Astoria slipped from the arm onto her feet with a scowl. "I need to get away from this," he motioned to her with his left arm, ensuring to keep his 'injured' one down at 180 degrees.

"Goodnight, my dear!" Astoria called after him, cupping her hands around her mouth to elevate her voice. A few first years started, the abrupt and uncalled for noise rousing them from their light slumber. A few grouched under their breaths, faces slumping and mouths hobbling. "Don't you have a class to get to?" She asked abrasively, through the cup of her hands. She added a glare for extra effect, grinned when the first years ran from the common room before you could get the chance to say "smelly firsties" or something equally as annoying, something worthy of a chant from Peeves.

She looked round, satisfied when nobody was lurking in the darkest corners of the room and got down on her knees, flattening a cheek to the rough carpet and peering under the sofa. "Ahah," she murmured with a slight smile, reaching under the seemingly impossible gap between the couch and the ground. When the glass ball was nearly in grasp, the commotion of the common room door clattering open sent her heart soaring into her throat and her fingers to retract quickly into her palm.

"That was completely reckless!" A feminine voice shrieked and Astoria knew it, knew it far too well but not well enough, without seeing the owners face, she couldn't place an identity. "I don't know why I let you drag me into shenanigans like this, I should know better!" There was very few people who Astoria knew used old timey words like _shenanigans_.

"Aw, come off it, Daph!" Astoria had to repress the very prominent urge to squeal with obscure delight. Daphne, her sister Daphne, coming in past curfew with a boy, no less! And judging by the way her lingo went untouched by her male companion, it definitely couldn't be Blaise. "We had fun, you let your hair down, it was harmless."

"I'll have you know, I frequently wear my hair down. I find up-dos too fiddly and time consuming to do alone," Daphne sniffed prissily and Astoria resisted another urge to run out and whack her, "but I'm telling you, Theo, our late night gallivanting is coming to an end. Right here, right now. It's far too risky." Theodore Nott, how Astoria was going to murder him very, very slowly.

"Well, we can hardly go gallivanting during the day, can we? You're too worried about what your sister would think." What she would think? Astoria glared at the dust bunnies under the sofa with vigour. "She's not stupid, Daph, she probably suspects something already. Little Astoria's a lively sprite, she reads textbooks for _fun_ for Merlin's sake! And we're barely a crime, eh? We're already –"

"Astoria was brought up… _differently_ than the rest of us," Daphne cut in hastily, "more sheltered, not her fault, obviously, it's just that Father passed before he could form any alliances with the girls in her year. She's late to the game and in some areas it shows." Daphne drew in a breath and her feet stepped rhythmically in a large, choppy circle. "I don't even think she knows about sex." Incorrect, Blaise had tainted her mind with very detailed descriptions when he was nine. "Safiya isn't in the position to do it herself, seeing as she's had… _arrangements_ after Father and she doesn't think Violeta qualified to do it either without scaring her something horrid." Too late, Blaise got there before anyone else.

"It isn't like we're shagging, anyway, we're only fourteen."

" _Don't_ be so vulgar, _Merlin_."

"It isn't like we're getting passionately intimate –"

"I'm going to bed, now." Daphne interrupted, sounding thoroughly fed up.

"Making love? Fornicating sexually? Doing the – alright, alright! Merlin, Daph, you would've taken my head off or something!" The sofa shifted back abruptly and if she peered hard enough, Astoria could see the edges to Theodore's shoes shuffling against the ground skittishly as he backed up towards the back of the sofa. Her breath lodged itself in her throat and her eyes bulged from her skull. One step closer from Theodore was all it would take, for him to turn around in blind panic as Daphne would threaten to do whatever she had done beforehand to make him bang clumsily against the back of the couch and she would be discovered. She regretted immediately not taking her wand, a simple incantation would render her blended in with the surroundings and safe from less than observant eyes, but there would be no point on . She closed her eyes tightly and forced her breathing to be even, slow and as silent as possible. She could hear Daphne sigh impatiently and she could only picture her sister's face twist into intense disapproval, she had been pierced with that look many times.

"I have to go to bed before someone notices I'm gone," Daphne's voice was soft, warm and a drastic opposite from how Astoria had originally thought it would go, having expected more huffing, insults and a large cold shoulder. "I'll see you at breakfast." The pattering of Daphne's feet drifted off into nothing and the feint sound of her dormitory door creaking shut signalled that she was well and truly out of ear shot.

"I'm trusting you heard that,"

Astoria held her breath and clenched her eyes shut again, obviously a sound technique in going unnoticed. "Alright," Theodore muttered uneasily "I'll pretend you're not there. Just speaking to an empty room. Helpful if it could speak back, of course…" Astoria knew this tactic, she would not fall for another obvious baiting, not this time. "Alright," he repeated with the same level of exhaustion "but just know this empty room, I think it would be very, _very_ beneficial for our mutual loved one if you let on that you know our secret."

"Empty room isn't aware of any secret," Astoria replied hesitantly, "never been aware of it before this evening."

"Guess you could read all the books in the world and still not be very socially aware, hmm?" By the time Astoria had registered that this was, in fact, an insult he had already bid his goodnights and was halfway towards his dorm.

/ / /

"Alright, Draco?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Draco was certain that his response was not at _all_ snappy, moody and incredibly grumpy, but the way Flint's face turned down in a scowl and he held his hands up in mock defence made him think otherwise, or at least tolerate the idea that maybe he wasn't the best at portraying completely emotionless. He tried again, rolling back his shoulders as he walked the lonely corridor in great attempt to get them to not be so _damn stiff_ and raising his brows a few times to get them used to the idea that it's okay to be separated from each other, that separation is sometimes for the best. He tried smiling at a passing first year, just to test it out, see if it worked.

It became evident that it had _not_ worked when the first year gripped tightly onto his book bag and wand and scurried along down the corridor. "For the love of Merlin," he shook his head slightly in utter disbelief. He was a lost cause, forever tormented to portray the man of many troubles that show on his face – or maybe the trouble _is_ his face. Yes, his Mother would tell him he's still a gorgeous boy, that all the girls will still fall at his feet and that Astoria undoubtedly thinks him incredibly desirable but he'd still have a face like a pinched grape. People would probably name their ridiculously ugly children after him. Astoria would never look at their own child if it gained his facial structure, and what a structure used to be, turned into undesirable ugliness. In that moment, he severely hated Pansy.

If she had just stopped with her _damn questions_ he wouldn't be so damned miserable. Her obsession with his betrothed had past the point of infatuation, it clearly was a wonder why Pansy had not proposed to Astoria herself.

("Have you seen Astoria and that Avery boy lately?" "No." "They look very… _chummy_ , if you get what I mean." Draco was certain that she didn't even warrant a verbal response, so he let out a low hum. "It's a little embarrassing, isn't it? She's making such a fool of herself, it's shocking really." Another hum. "She shouldn't be throwing herself at him, she simply must be aware that people know about the engagement. She can't be seen to close to another bloke, just in case the public get the wrong idea." Draco looked at her pointedly, she was perfectly happy to be tucked under his arm, laying against his chest in front of the entire Slytherin Common Room. "Has she said anything to you about him?" "No." "I think she likes him. _That_ much is obvious." "Can we talk about something else less boring? Perhaps the entire history of that shoe you're wearing? What about Binns' last class?" "Has _Daphne_ said anything to you about it?" "Daph – No, I don't even speak to her." Pansy hummed highly. "Really? It's just that you seemed pretty close with her over summer." "I – What are you talking about?" "Nothing, nothing. I'm sure if you say that you aren't talking with her you aren't." "What's even going on?" "And, quite frankly, I don't believe that Astoria hasn't told you anything, either. You two are far too close for my liking, and-" "I'm literally supposed to marry her?" "-think she'd spare a detail from you. Unless she doesn't want to hurt your feelings." Pansy sat up sharply and pierced him with an unwavering stare. " _Will_ that hurt your feelings?" "No!" Most probably, yes. "You're acting psychotic," Pansy scoffed with defiance at his accusation, "I'm going for a walk and when I get back whatever this attitude is better be gone." Draco stood and walked from the Common Room without so much as a glance back.)

His being was filled with white hot rage once again, morally outraged that she even had the audacity to hint at any type of relationship between himself and Daphne. The sheer level of disbelief in her tone when he had denied it the first time was, quite frankly, insulting. And then to accuse him of being somewhat jealous of the potential relationship between Astoria and another person. Preposterous! Recounting the entire experience made his mood go from worst to completely and totally awful. And to top things off, the very beings of Pansy's interest were approaching him from down the hall, walking side by side, smiling and just being _happy_. Disgusting. Draco turned around, staring up the corridor and began to wonder just how long it would take him to make a mad dash to the nearest corner and sprint down it.

It was too late, Astoria was calling out his name and his veins turned to ice. He turned crisply and chanted _don't smile don't smile don't smile_ in his head, staring down the corridor emotionlessly. "Alright, grumpy?" Astoria asked suavely, the smile on her face far too cocky for his liking. His scowl deepened.

"Are you two a thing, then?" It was rather impressive the rate at which Astoria's face went from pale to furiously red. The Avery Boy shuffled from foot to foot but refused to let his eyes fall from Draco's. A sign of true bravery that he respected, but didn't comment.

"No." Astoria answered sharply with a dangerous bluntness. "This is Draco," Astoria motioned stiffly towards him "and this is Nicolai. I apologise for his temperament, I'll see you later?" A twisted gratification spun inside him like a whirlwind as she tried her hardest to bid the Avery Boy off. Nicholas nodded and wondered off, hand resting on Astoria's shoulder a little too long than was entirely comfortable. Once he was a good distance away, Astoria stood to Draco's left side, a sharp finger digging into his back as she attempted to push him forwards. "That was rude and uncalled for." Draco snuffled and shrugged carelessly. "Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, geez, what's with everyone asking me that?"

"Because you look tragic."

"Thanks."

"No problem." A cheeky, disgustingly endearing grin swept across Astoria's face, withering away when a cold gust of wind thundered its way through the already chilly corridor. "Merlin, it's bloody freezing," she murmured, her lanky arms crossing in front of her chest as she gave a dramatic shudder. "What are you doing out here, anyway? Everything alright with Pansy?"

"Everything between me and Pansy's great." Yeah, if great meant absolutely awful and felt like he was verging on a migraine whenever they were alone together for over two and a half hours. "I just fancied a walk."

"Alone."

"It's not a crime, is it? People walk alone all the time, nothing wrong with it. And it _doesn't_ mean there's anything wrong with me and Pansy," he added determinedly after a suspiciously long side glance from his companion. Astoria shrugged, unfolded her arms and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her black button down coat.

"I simply cannot get over the weather. It's awful, isn't it awful?" Draco had a sneaking suspicion that she was trying desperately to fill the silence.

"It's winter, what more do you expect?"

"Not torrential snow blizzards, that's for sure. One of the twins left the window open last night, we had three crows, a squirrel and about half a dozen robins sleeping on top of the heater for warmth!" Astoria shook her head ferociously, her rosy cheeks turning a deep scarlet from what he could assume to be anger, or maybe just from the cold. After all, she wasn't wrong, this winter had been significantly colder than the last. "They did it when we were sleeping, too, the fools. I'll remember this when they're grovelling at my feet, begging to become a Junior."

"How do you even know it was them?"

"It just seems like a horrifically middle class thing to do, doesn't it? Just screams _Carrow_." And how could he argue with that sound logic?

/ / /

Despite the thick, smothering blanket of snow that covered Hogwarts, the Greengrass Estate had, according to Safiya, went untouched by the white powder from hell. That, Astoria was entirely grateful for. Yes, the hardwood flooring of the halls and bedrooms were chilled to the touch and the tiled bathroom was sure to turn you to ice if you so much as looked at it with a naked eye but there was no reason for her to be slipping and sliding her way outside. Still, the trees were bare, the bushes stripped of flowers, the sea too cold to even glance at, the paths covered in a small sheet of icy frost in the early hours of the morn and beautiful twinkly lights floated throughout the downstairs area. Christmas time was well and truly alive.

Christmas Dinner had been and gone and it was a very special one at that. Safiya had invited Violeta to join their festivities, gracious as it was the ulterior motive was yet to be discovered. Violeta agreed without much hesitation, wrapped up little Nadejda in her fluffiest clothes and headed on to the Greengrass Estate clutching not only a small, barely aged child but also a pitcher of fine, aged Firewhiskey and a grand Christmas pudding. Daphne coddled, not bothering much with actual functioning humans and opting for a gummy, giggling baby. Astoria would join occasionally, shaking a rattle enthusiastically in her face in order to rouse infectious giggles but she found babies to be stressful after a prolonged period of time. What did her wails _mean_? Why did the simplest of things make her laugh hysterically? What makes a few flying, colourful shapes so interesting?

Safiya and Violeta swapped baby stories which was odd, interesting and a little disheartening. They seemed to be getting along, perhaps Christmas really was for miracles? But maybe not, because it wasn't the day that Astoria wanted to be reminded of her motherless baby-hood. The tattling of ' _Daphne used to…'_ ' _Oh, Blaise did the same!_ ' ' _Nadejda is quite the…_ ' the lack of ' _Astoria would_ ' made the hole in her heart just that much bigger.

At around eight Safiya offered the two guests a bed for the night, claiming it to be far too cold to travel. At nine thirty-six Safiya received her annual letter and retreated to bed with a heavy frown. At ten-eleven the Floo rumbled and out stepped a very put-together Narcissa. "Merry Christmas," she greeted with a small, polite smile. A hand lifted to her head and brushed away the imaginary hair.

"Merry Christmas!" Astoria replied with sugar induced enthusiasm. "What are you doing here? Is everything fine? We received the invitation but Saf was too busy to reply, but we are able to attend."

An easy smile tugged at Narcissa's lips. "Fantastic. How many sweeties have you-" Narcissa's voice trailed to a halt in the middle of her sentence, her roaming eyes catching upon the intruder of the room. "Unexpected. Violeta, it's been a while."

"Merry Christmas, Narcissa. Safiya invited us over for Christmas Dinner." The hostility in the room soared from null to many as Violeta answered the unasked question that, although went unsaid, hung like an unwelcomed presence.

"That's very generous of her. This must be Nadejda." Narcissa sauntered over and crouched, smoothing the back of her index finger over Nadia's soft, chubby cheek. Nadia drooled, her dark brown eyes hypnotized by Narcissa's pastel blues. "Aren't you a sweet one?" Nadia grinned at her tone of coo. "Are you not letting her spend Christmas with her daddy? My, such a shame." The beam of sunshine on Narcissa's face did not relate at all to the chill of her voice.

"Azzy, darling, take Nadia up to bed, won't you? It's about time you sleep." Violeta kept a level head on her, not rising to the occasion or out her chair. She looked still, peaceful and completely unfazed – for the first time ever, Violeta was serene in the face of anger. Astoria looked between the two women, a slight edge of race to her heart beat and her hands becoming sweaty and almost unbearable warm. Nadia squawked as she flew up through the air from the short distance from the ground and into her elder sister's chest. Astoria held her rather awkwardly, her small size being mostly taken over by baby mass but her grip was steel tight and assuring. Her hip jutted out uncomfortably and the way Nadia's fists clenched onto her dress and small strands of hair was more than troublesome.

The way Narcissa studied Astoria as if she was under inspection did not go unnoticed but she couldn't bring herself to care. At that particular moment, Narcissa Malfoy was not on the list of Astoria's favourite people at all – after all, what right did she have to come strolling in and upsetting the mood that, before, was unusually nice and enjoyable? Astoria was more than a little furious at her soon-to-be mother-in-law, but she was twelve years old and in no position to speak up. Perhaps, in the not-so-imminent future she'd bring up her unhappiness about the situation, but not now, not too soon.

Carrying Nadia lasted much longer than expected as in her mood induced silence and absence, Safiya had not managed to get around to setting up one of the guest bedrooms fit for a small infant. "You're a lot heavier than you look, you know, what does Mother feed you?"

"Mama!" Nadia's optimism was slightly inspiring.

"Suppose that's a good thing, though. Mean's you're healthy, right?" Astoria sighed impatiently, tiptoeing quietly past Daphne's room where she slept peacefully. "You'll have to go to the Nursery, I'm afraid. Don't worry, everything in there's approved by me when I was your age – my, that feels weird to say. _When I was your age_ ," she repeated in a deep, mocking voice, "Merlin, I'm turning into my Grandfather." Nadia grinned sloppily, a string a drool dribbling down her chin. The nursery was the last door on the left of that corridor, next to the sandwiched between the Master bedroom in which Safiya was enclosed in and one of the smaller guest bedrooms which Astoria supposed Violeta would just have to get used to. The walls were soft pink with various hand drawn pictures of bears and butterflies; the floors hardwood and freshly polished; varieties of stuffed toys and educational books were in order on the high, white shelves; and an oak wood crib stood under the window, carvings of:

 _Astoria Vasilisa Greengrass,  
13/04/1981_

In fancy, cursive writing. "This isn't your name," she murmured, setting Nadia down into the snug looking cot, "so don't get confused." Proving just how exhausted the late night was for such a young human, Nadejda didn't sit, stand or protest; she stared up at the rotating solar system mobile in a drowsy state, her large, frog-like eyes blinking sleepily. Astoria smiled, sticking a hand through the bars and smoothing a finger down her cheek just as Narcissa had done minutes ago. "I'm sorry she had to ruin things," she bit softly at her lower lip, listening as the house tremored under the weight of the Floo reawakening, "that she ruined your first Christmas. But it was all good before that, wasn't it? We had a grand time. It was my First Christmas with Mother. First Christmas with you. I hope it's the first of many more." Nadia turned her bright eyes to meet Astoria's, a large dopey smile crossing her baby-like features. "Goodnight," Astoria murmured, placing a butterfly kiss to two fingers and pressing them softly against Nadia's flushed cheek "and sweet dreams."

Violeta returned not so long after, an hour after Astoria retired to her own bed and in just as much time since Trinket (one of the far most memorable features from her time playing Mistress of the old Greengrass Estate) had told her of her youngest child's whereabouts. The nursery was in the same location, but that was the only similarities. Everything had been remodelled from the last time she had entered it, the neutral white smothered with, from what she could tell in the darkness, some shade of blue. Not a single children's toy was the same, they looked more expensive, more loved, less cared for, less _Mrs Violeta Greengrass_. She thought briefly of Harrison – what would he had done with everything they had purchased together? Burned them amidst his utter devastation upon receiving insensitive divorce parchments? Or did his loopy brother manage to scald this room in his rampage? She tormented the thought of the other private rooms being much the same as they had been before, what of the master bed? Harrison's old office? The library? She had an overwhelming urge to check. Baby Nadejda mumbled in her sleep and the sensation disappeared.

"My baby," Violeta whispered, craning over the crib and staring at her little angel, sleeping peacefully. She sighed with contentment, finding peace and absolution into looking at someone so pure, so untainted with life's terrible ways. The back of the cot caught her eye, delicate engravings shattering her heart into ten million separate, sharp sections. Even the crib had been replaced, there was truly nothing in this room that had survived from her time, not the carpet, not the curtains, not the chandelier. She traced the swirls of writing, each dent serving as a dagger for her stomach. An entire childhood she had missed, and for what? For a life of servitude for The Cause that had ultimately failed? For a best friend that currently rots away in the deepest, darkest crevasses of one of the most notorious and deathly prisons on earth? It was laughable. She had a life, a doting husband, a wonderful daughter and another on the way, a house, a family, love, laughter, friends – she had it all. All which she threw away for a life of hiding, judgement, solitude and fear?

/ / /

 **It's been what, three months? Do I get an award for most committed updater? Definitely not. I've had the worst writers block for this story and I honestly didn't know if I would manage to carry on – luckily I did! I've also been working on re-writes for both of my other stories, unsure if I will ever publish them, but that's where my creative juices were going. I'm going to try and move on this story a bit faster, especially through PoA as for little Astoria, nothing much happens.**

 **Hopefully the next time you see a notification for me it will be much, much sooner For now!**


	13. Chapter 13

Thunder rumbled far off in the distance and rattled the single glazed and impeccably kept window, loud and perfectly tuned music filtered under the small gap between the door and the floor, and the happy tittering of guests who had arrived by the dozens chatting amongst themselves about terribly adult things such as taxes, the state of the economy and the current state of affairs sifted softly through the floorboards into the very empty room that resided far off in the third floor of the east wing of Malfoy Manor. A mixture of snow and rain would fall occasionally and then, in a flash of blue light, would be cast away in a spell performed by one of the elves that weren't too busy supplying small delicacies to the very important people in the ballroom.

Astoria sat alone, huddled up into the edge of the window seat, flushed cheek pressed against the chilly window pane. Her eyes followed the shadows of people who passed by the brightly lit window on the ground floor, longing to be down there with them. It was a momentous occasion, judging by the size of the crowd, the outline of the fashion choices, the grandness of the live orchestra, the copious amounts of food and drink, the hiring of extra on-hand help and the very strict set of rules that were in place stating very clearly that the guest list would only contain occupants of those aged thirteen and above – a criteria Astoria was three months off fitting.

This did nothing for Astoria's festering bad mood that had been left behind by the scolding marks of Violeta's frantically moving feet when she had managed to remove herself from the premises, baby in tow, before the house elves had woken to start their day's duties early Boxing Day morning. It didn't take a genius to notice that Astoria's foulness wasn't going to disappear with time, no, the only thing time brought with it was thunderous stares and glowers that could strike one dead.

Secretly, Draco had managed to take a leap and fit together a plan on how Astoria was related to the very angry Basilisk that roamed the school piping system the year before and now he lived in very mild fear of her somehow developing the skill of Occlumency and beating him to death with her bare hands for conjuring such an awful thought.

While her behaviour had started to put a damper on the final week of his holidays, it also came with a very bold silver lining. His fiancées mood had become the perfect excuse for turning down any reason for him to see Pansy. Did that make him a terrible boyfriend? Absolutely, but did he care? Not one single bit, a day without having to hear Pansy's obnoxiously high tones was a winning day in his books. Another thing he was also very scared of Astoria finding out about.

Regarding the age restriction, Astoria had done everything in her power to overrule that particular aspect, but apparently the amount of power she wages anywhere outside of Hogwarts is very, very slim to none. Safiya had happily told her that she is most definitely in charge of the breakfast foods the Greengrass Estate takes in and that maybe when she's older she can man the luncheon menu, too.

She had tried at regular intervals to brighten up her mood; attempting the puzzles from the past three issues of the _Prophet_ became far too infuriating; flicking through a book that Lucius had deemed _very intellectual and interesting_ turned out to be far beyond the years of a twelve year old girl; painting her toe nails messily with glitter polish provided by Narcissa; trying on the discarded dresses left crumpled on the floor by Daphne, twirling in circles with an imaginary being that definitely, under no circumstances resembled Nicolai in anyway at all; and she even tried imagining the absolute catastrophe that would be displayed by Daphne, Draco and Blaise as they tripped over their own feet dancing and pretending to understand the very adult conversations going on around them.

The only thought that pushed her through the many, many hours of missing out on the fun was that it was only 107 days until she would be seen as an adult, a mature one at that, in the eyes of all those whom she had looked up to since she had the ability to have social status and ranking ingrained deep into her mind. Oh, how she longed to be down in the grand ballroom, limited to only a single flute of champagne, being passed around multiple strangers who yearned to know all about the youngest Greengrass daughter, and finally being able to rejoin civilisation rather than being stowed away in isolation.

If there was one thing that Astoria had learned about being on her own it was that she certainly didn't want to experience it any more than she had to. Being lonely, even for a short period of time, was not something Astoria was familiar with. Not when Daphne and Blaise started their first year at Hogwarts. Not when Safiya was preoccupied with other things that didn't revolve round her only child under her care. Not when forced to spend alone time in her mother's house. Not even when staying at the Malfoy's for that particularly long week before school returned. Astoria had never felt loneliness quite like being intentionally isolated.

It made her desire stronger, her desire to be older, stronger, to be doing something other than sitting alone and idle, stowed away in a room that the man of the house, Lucius, had fessed up to not entering or even really recalling in many, many years and was subtly surprised and the tiniest little bit nostalgic with its contents. Lucius' reaction had her heart feeling a little numb as she couldn't help but wonder if her mind would forget the places she had seen and the things she had done and gone through, the wealth of her ancestors and those she was marrying into consuming her whole and status biting and nipping at her ankles, slowly chewing away at her being. The room seemed a little less scary and her eyes ate eagerly at every detail – the discoloured wallpaper, the dust collecting at the corners of the rather empty bookshelf, and the mess created by herself. She wanted to take it all in, remember the disdain she so very clearly felt when Daphne had offered her a rather pathetic smile as she left the room in her ball gown and her perfectly curled hair, shutting the door behind her, her radiating warmth and infectious cheerfulness vacating the room with her and leaving behind an uneven chilliness. Astoria sighed as her heart gave a slight twinge of sadness and felt rather stupid for feeling so sad at both the present and the prospects of her future as Mrs Malfoy.

Another huff of breath rushed past her lips, a definite sigh of existentialism.

/ / /

Snow was eventually allowed to cover the acres of green belonging to the Malfoy Manor, the elves were no longer instructed to vanish it on site, letting a thick blanket of untouched white powder to stretch far beyond the horizon, and it looked like it had been taken straight from one of Witch Weekly's special photography editions that was released seemingly whenever the feeling took them. There was no time for the children of the household to appreciate its beauty, however, as the trunks were packed and waiting in the carriage and the Hogwarts Express was sitting patiently at Kings Cross upon arrival, a flood of students already piling on in groups.

"It's a mood that can only be cured by the one who induced it," Safiya murmured rather cynically, casting a wavering look at her youngest. Astoria's mood had seemed to fester and grow during her time at Malfoy Manor, a complete 180 from the child Safiya was so used to. "I'll give Violeta a mail, tell her to get in touch with that poor girl." Safiya frowned ferociously and a feral growl, worthy of an actual beast, escaped her mouth. "Such a pathetic excuse of a mother, don't you think? She was doing so well, I was even beginning to tolerate her more than usual, but, oh, she's not Violeta if she not messing things up, that's for sure. I really had high hopes that this baby had set her straight, that maybe – just _maybe_ – that child would be the one thing that wench could touch without corrupting it completely, but she's worse if anything."

Narcissa let out an uneven hum of agreement, not daring to open her mouth to pitch in her opinion, the weight of devastating guilt tugging her down tremendously. She could see it in Astoria's eyes when she looked at her exactly how much she was blamed for the Violeta's sudden departure in the early hours of the morning. Narcissa didn't even have the heart to blame her, she had been particularly cruel to Violeta, ignoring the other woman's attempts of resonating and instead choosing to fire insult after insult her way until she was almost a quivering shell of a being.

But her pride was worth far much more than admitting she may have been wrong.

"Yes," Narcissa agreed firmly, "Violeta always has had a knack for running against the grain." Safiya snorted with agreement and left the matter at that, her eyes scouring over the heads of the many children crowding the platform in search something somewhat familiar.

/ / /

The Slytherin Common Room was unusually quiet and rather tense. A group of every Slytherin second years sat, huddled near the fire as they awaited for the stroke of ten minutes to midnight so they could make their way to their Astronomy class with the Hufflepuff's, each looking at the ground, their hands, the carpet or over at the blaze of the flames, unsure if they should say or do anything. It was no secret that Astoria Greengrass's incredibly foul mood had managed to affect every single one of them in some way or another. She was uncooperative, incredibly blunt, and snappy and did things of her own accord and only if it suited her and her agenda, whatever that may be.

There had been speculations as to what it may have been to bring on the incredibly foul version of the usually rather reasonable girl, the boys in her year speculated silently between them that it must have been down to some feminine issues or possibly even her rather strained relationship with Draco Malfoy, for whatever hat may be.

The girls, however, had a different idea.

It had been no secret to the four Common Rooms in Hogwarts that both Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott had been getting a bit close, much closer than an elite girl such as herself should let a platonic male friend get. It hadn't been much, but after all it never takes much of anything to get the rumour mill started, just regular hand brushes, inside jokes, shared looks, searching the other one out in a busy room and the undeniable fact that each of their smiles got that much brighter in each other's presence.

Noting Nott's status within the Pureblood community, it didn't take too long to jump at the conclusion that Astoria must have been more than a little disappointed at her sister's willingness to accept her undesirable relationship with Theodore so much as to start delving into the possibilities of romance at such a young age, four years before they were due to wed.

Ravenclaw's found Astoria to be rather wise to be so evidently put out, the Nott family had deteriorated ever since Mrs Nott's death many years ago and it didn't take a genius, regardless of their background, to know that Daphne and Theo's relationship was only beneficial to one side.

Gryffindor's didn't particularly care for the outcome and were only interested in keeping up with the latest gossip, especially if it had anything to do with Slytherin's.

Hufflepuff's were interested in wanting to understand Daphne and Astoria's relationship and their strains and developments more than Theo's involvement with the situation, labelling him as some sort of catalyst for the Greengrass Sister's potential downfall.

Astoria stood abruptly and made her own way towards the door, the hands of the grandfather clock ticking slowly past the ten to position. Looks were shared and slowly they each got to their feet and followed after her.

Ever the brave soul, Nicolai strolled on forwards, making sure to catch at Astoria's elbow. She spun and a look of pure enrage had filled her eyes but upon meeting his, almost immediately softened. He said nothing, just carried on walking by her side and offered the simplest of smiles. The coil that appeared to have been lodged between her shoulders didn't unwind, not even in the slightest, but the muscles of her cheeks moved the tiniest little bit and he deemed that as a win.

"I'd give anything to be back in bed right now," Nicolai murmured, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Astoria gave a noncommittal hum of agreement. "Such a pity that the starts only come out at night, although I wouldn't be surprised if there was a spell to make them appear in the day time."

"If there is it would require far more power than anyone in this school can even hope to possess," Astoria said aloofly, taking a sharp turn up the staircase. Nicolai hummed and nodded, and if he were ever asked he'd be unable to deny the large swell of pride he felt for being able to crack her apparent cold exterior. "I suppose you're right, but maybe they should be on the lookout for someone with such power. I need my beauty sleep." He could have sworn that he could see Astoria give a very characteristic and exaggerated eye roll. He couldn't help but smile just a bit. "So, what have you been up to lately? We haven't had the chance to talk and catch up."

"We go to a boarding school, Nicolai, there isn't much I can do that isn't school related, especially in second year."

"You'll get over it, you know," he said softly, attempting to go for a caring tone and praising himself on what he thought was doing rather well.

"Get over what? I've been here a year and a half. In fact, you have too. Not being at home isn't exactly a new concept to me,"

Nicolai took a short breath, smiled and shook his head. "No, I – my older brother got with a girl, right? Pretty muddy status – Pureblood nonetheless, but not quite up to Avery standards," at Astoria's rather perplexed look, he gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm not very good at this whole _relatable_ thing, but I do relate to your predicament, seriously, I do."

"Avery, what the absolute _Hell_ are you chatting about?"

He knew that the use of his surname couldn't have been a positive signal by any means, but he persisted anyway. "Look, all I'm saying is that Lucille – that's her name – isn't actually all that bad. Is she bringing much to the family? No, but what matters is that our blood stays pure, right? I – I suppose what I'm getting at is that your sister's relationship with that Nott boy isn't an end of the world disaster, it's an inconvenience, sure, but Daphne seems –"

"They're engaged to be married, you nonce," Astoria huffed with an irate look, "of course they're to have some sort of relationship, I'd rather have what they have than have none at all. I wouldn't want to be marrying a complete stranger, friendship seems the most ideal."

"Do you not think you have it? That friendship that you'd rather have than nothing at all?"

"If I'm honest, if flickers between familiarity and acquaintanceship, but that's really not –"

"Apparently friendship isn't the only thing going on with Daphne and Theo, though, is it? We've all seen it, Astoria, they're closer than they've ever been and I don't think it can be pinned down to their inevitable marriage." Theo murmured rather bitterly, the kick in his step nothing similar to peppy.

Astoria stopped altogether and looked almost entirely outraged. "Are you seriously going to believe what everyone says? Are you honestly _that_ stupid and malleable? If Daphne was to get involved with Theodore _bloody_ Nott like everyone's been whispering about she would tell me. So you can take that and tell it to the rest of them, because I'm sick of people acting like I'm deaf to loud whispers and irritating stares."

Nicolai stopped and watched Astoria as she stormed off ahead, her feet slapping against the ground making all of the portraits in her wake grumble furiously. His mouth curled unpleasantly and he mentally cursed at her existence. "Alright, mate?" Nicolai gave a soft hum and nodded, picking up his steps, re-joining the group of second years. Adam gave a laugh and hooked an arm around Nicolai's neck, tugging him down and rubbing his knuckles over Nicolai's scalp until it burned. "That's just birds, innit," Adam sneered, "weird creatures, my old man tells me never to try an understand 'em. The best men can spend all their lives in, um, per – pers – trying to figure 'em out, and die not knowing a single thing." Nicolai broke himself free of Adam's tight grip and sniffed at the air. Adam smacked him roughly between the shoulder blades and he lurched forwards a little, "hang in there, mate. She'll come round, she's worth it."

Nicolai hummed lowly again and scratched his fingers through his hair. By God, he hoped he was right.

/ / /

Astoria made it her current mission in life to make sure she was able to avoid Nicolai at all costs. She had mastered the art of leaving a room when he entered (just not classrooms, of course, that was where she scowled deeply whenever looking vaguely in his direction), revelling at the fed up look that would cross his rather pretty features. If anything, she held him just a little bit higher, any person who could look that good while looking put out way beyond their mind deserved it, for sure.

She was constantly reminding herself that she had no business thinking Nicolai Avery as anything other than a silly little boy who thought he knew the world, a boy whose only issues were not receiving the newest broom as soon as it became available and that his house elves had put too much salt into his soup for his own personal preference.

But on a more serious note, other than the petulant and rather ridiculous boys in her life, Astoria felt lost at sea. Daphne had been more distant than ever, and the rare occasion they did speak she'd appear on edge, her entire body tense and rigid with apparent stress – stress about what? Astoria didn't have the heart to guess, a small voice was constantly nipping at the back of her head spitting out sick and twisted limericks about Daphne and Nott and damned Nicolai Avery being entirely correct with his assumptions along with the rest of the school. Blaise was more concerned with skulking about and perfecting his own art of being mysterious rather than keeping up with the latest gossip – or perhaps that's what he wanted people to think. Astoria had recently found herself unable to properly be able to read the very little that Blaise gave off. Safiya's letters' had been few and far between, Astoria wanted to pin that down to business within her own life that she now had that didn't revolve around caring for three small and rather temperamental wizards, but she also couldn't help but wonder what may have been more important than writing to her children. The only constant had been Narcissa's string of letters about seemingly pointless things, signed in a flourish and smelled deliciously of her perfume, but Astoria was able to read between the lines. Narcissa's outreach was a beg for forgiveness without stooping as low as to apologise and Astoria wasn't about to give into her wordless request.

The Common Room was chillier than usual, filled only with the presence of Astoria alone. The fire had dimmed to only a few embers and a window at the top of the boy's dorm stairs that had been creaked open when the population was at its peak remained untouched, the frosty February air making itself know. The tips of her toes ached with the cold and she would rub them together every now and again, desperate for friction. A part of her longed for the warm embrace of her bed, to be huddled under the thick duvet and resting her head on a nice, large fluffy pillow, her drapes drawn shut and the only noises in the room would be the soft snores of her roommates, the wind beating against the window and the soft crackling of the heater in the centre of the room. The other part of her, the one that was all the more stubborn, forced her to bask in the cold and the dreary, accepting nothing of what she wanted and all of what she didn't. She was making a point – a point aimed at whoever was watching and whoever would be affected, which was proving to be quite a large turnout all in all. It was a rather large boost to her ego, seeing all of the people who would part before her and, at the slight turn of her head, the amount of people who would turn shockingly quiet just to appease her. It was also equally as terrifying, watching some of the seventh years actually shy away in her wake, or how when she would walk into the Common Room alone and with nobody else to make her appear even slightly more intimidating, they would still keep a cautious eye on her as if she would do something drastic and unpredictable.

Astoria wondered often if this was a forever thing and there was nothing or no one really there to tell her that it wasn't. What had started out as something to gain the attention possibly of her mother in the form of some strongly worded letters from Safiya, had gained its own consciousness and wanted to ooze itself all over everyone else. Rose barely even smiled at her anymore, it had appeared that she had become sick and tired of the smoulder she received in response.

Astoria sighed softly and tipped her head back, staring up at the dimmed candles of the chandelier. She could admire the simplicity of them, the fact that they were only really brought into the world for one reason and that was to be decoratively luminous. The cold tickled at her feet again and she huffed. The lights of the chandelier grew steadily brighter, something that wasn't in anyway anticipated, and quickly blew out in a puff of smoke. Astoria pushed herself from the sofa and grasped around in the dark for her wand, her heart thumping erratically in her chest.

A static-like noise crackled deep within her mind and she stumbled, kicking her toe into the edge of the coffee table, luckily for her the numbness the cold had brought meant she couldn't feel much of anything. _Students_ , the chandelier re-lit itself and started to flicker madly, _do not be alarmed_ , Astoria couldn't help but wonder if there was a better way to keep the hysteria she had rising in her chest down, _gather in the Common Room immediately_. Every single unused candle and torch in the room lit up in a blaze, the chandelier allowed to continue to flicker on and off as it pleased.

Almost immediately Astoria could hear the panicked steps from above that were soon drowned out by the repeating of the message. She looked around for a familiar face but found herself quickly drowning in a sea of unknown faces, names and personalities that had her skin prickling hotly. The incessant chatter grew in volume and the message continued to repeat itself, students crowded themselves onto the couches and chairs, their tired legs desperate to give way and frantic eyes spread across the thinning crowds in search of someone particular.

It was just when Professor Snape stepped into the common room, black robes looking particularly neat just like the had been the last time she had saw him, almost as if he had never taken them off, that Astoria was able to spot her familiars all huddled by the same space. Draco had, what she could only assume, a reluctant arm perched tensely over Pansy's shoulders. Pansy was clinging onto Daphne's arm and Daphne's face appeared to be snuggled into Theodore Nott's shoulder, the right side of her body that wasn't being clung to by her ridiculous friend wrapped almost entirely around Nott's being. Blaise stood tensely a few inches from them and when Astoria looked at his face he was already looking at her, entirely unfazed and emotionless. It clicked with a ferocious jolt, all of it fitting together with horrific precision.

What Nott had been hinting at those months ago, the rumours that sparked like a wild fire around the entire school, Daphne's impeccably odd behaviour all of a sudden all made disgusting sense. Astoria wobbled, all of her senses ambushed. She clenched her fists by her sides and could hardly hear as Snape addressed the Slytherin body. "Sirius Black… castle searched… all but gone… nothing to worry about…" he droned on but Astoria couldn't concentrate. She sought Blaise out once again and he simply raised his brows and nodded his head towards the stairs. She wriggled her way through the crowd who appeared to be as stiff as ice.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Astoria demanded furiously as Blaise tugged her down onto a step.

"Have you met the new you? Not a fan, personally. Daphne's all sunshine and rainbows, you're… not." Blaise leaned casually against the stone wall and gave a dramatic roll of his eyes, "in her defence, she's not told a single soul. She's been very aloof about her and Nott and their togetherness, even as friends, that's why people know." Astoria frowned deeply and hung her head forcing the heel of her hand into her eyes, pressing hard. "The way you're acting right now? Like it's all about you? Can you really blame her?"

"Yes." Astoria stood up and held her head high. "Yes I really can." She barged past him and into the dispersing crowd, ensuring the barrel her shoulder into Nott's as she went. The faint shouts of her sister yelling out her name followed her up the stairs and the darkness inside her laughed.

/ / /

 **Three months for the last update, near enough a year for this one. Yikes. I have the next chapter all planned out so I'm hoping that it will be out soon, but we all know what happened the last time I said soon.**


	14. Chapter 14

Just under a week trickled past and with time the hollowness Astoria could feel within her heart only seemed to grow stronger. Seemingly not in the realm of caring, Nott had taken the extra step to make sure the entirety of Hogwarts were all _very_ aware of his relationship with Daphne. They held hands in the corridor, he walked her to classes, he walked her to breakfast, he walked her to dinner, he walked her to lunch – it was entirely surprising that he didn't walk her to the bathroom. Astoria suspected that maybe he had proposed this but Daphne wanted to save herself the embarrassment.

Since the night Sirius Black made his way into the Gryffindor boy's dorms, Astoria had been very successful on giving her sister and brother the cold shoulder, but Blaise's words weighed down heavily on her, because, she would always regard with a bitterness, while she did not like what he had to say he was in no way wrong. She made a little more effort with her dormmates as a result – she actually acknowledged them at meals, bid them goodnight and socialised with them lightly in class, now – but didn't dare put pressure on her very strained relationship with Daphne.

Just the thought of her sister's name put a sour taste in her mouth and she didn't particularly care for it. Daphne had been persistent at the beginning of the six days; slipping notes under her dormitory door, sending letters by owl, arranging the peas on Astoria's plate to start spelling out her name (Astoria would lump them under her mash and eventually just stopped eating them altogether), she had even attempted to get Draco to act as a messenger that she couldn't get rid of so quickly, but he had laughed Daphne's face and asked her if she'd like a foot rub to go with that, too, since she had apparently mistaken him for some common servant.

She wasn't ready to face the extremity that her petulant mood had landed her, and she also didn't want to look her sister in the face as she was told that it was her own fault. She wanted – no, Astoria needed the time to come to terms with it herself. To fully feel the weight of her childish ways so she could learn and grow from it, that was the plan, anyway. For someone who wanted to learn from her mistake, she definitely didn't spend as much time as she should thinking of the consequences it had brought on.

"Any minute now," Draco murmured from the ground where he sat cross-legged in front of the dulling fire, body rigid with anxiety and anticipation. Astoria rolled her eyes and tucked her feet more securely under her thighs. While sitting and basking in the silence of the common room alone, she had been caught red-handed by Draco who had proceeded to think that she, too, was as eager to find out the verdict of the animal that had "maimed" Draco's arm. It was a wild leap she didn't think he would take, but she accepted the platform as a pass-time. Now an hour on, she seriously began to regret going along with his very presumptuous guess.

"Can't you just wait until morning?" Astoria asked, stifling a yawn behind a closed fist, "the verdict won't change if –"

"You don't have to be here if you don't want to," there was something about his tone of voice that told her that even if she didn't want to be (which she _very_ much didn't), he did. Astoria's lip curled and she threw her back into the cushions of the sofa, feeling rather resigned to a night of simply waiting. " _Why_ though?" she pressed, deciding that she would much rather bicker and pester than let the only noise fill the very empty and silent room be the dwindling embers.

"Could you imagine the _look_ on Saint Potter and his angel's faces if _I_ gave them the news before their beloved half-breed had the chance?" Draco let out a low whistle, "absolutely _priceless_."

"So you're wanting it to die to hurt Potter, Granger, and Weasley?" Astoria asked dryly. She had suspected it, hell, it didn't take much to jump to that conclusion, but hearing the confession outright was a little shocking and had her stomach starting to churn.

Draco's shoulders lifted and dropped stiffly, "it's a monster. Their reaction is merely icing on an already _very_ sweet cake." Astoria bit down on her lower lip and humphed prissily. "What do you mean _hmph_?" Draco swivelled his body enough so he could make eye-contact with her, brows raised as far as they could possibly go and eyes swimming with the prospect of an argument.

"It's just that I think there are better ways to get the same reaction from Potter and his friends than having the life of an innocent animal taken."

"In – _innocent_? The beast maimed me, how on earth is it in any way _innocent_?"

"Come off it," Astoria grumbled with a very heavy eye roll, "you and I both know you took your injury from what I'm _very_ sure was a very painful three all the way to eleven."

"Alright, Miss Morals," Draco's very characteristic sneer slowly morphed onto his face, but Astoria became determined not to allow herself to feel beneath him, "why don't we shift this conversation onto you, hmm?"

" _Me_?" Astoria parroted, hand pressed to her chest in a very indignant manner, "what exactly have I done? It's not like I've gotten my father to –"

"- start with you parading around corridors with a big, fat _privilege_ sign flashing above your head –"

"- oh how _very_ rich! Tell me, how did your father manage to get this hearing sorted in the first –"

"- arse and an attitude to match, because of what? Your terrible mother did more typically terrible things? Because Daphne kept a few –"

" – _dare_ drag my mother into this! You don't know the first thing about her, Malfoy, and I'll tell you what –"

"- you just need to grow up and accept the fact that just because you're young, it doesn't give you the right to act like a complete ninny whenever something doesn't go your way!"

Astoria frowned deeply and folded her arms tightly across her chest. She could feel the heat on her cheeks and see it flushing up Draco's neck and around his ears. They stared venomously at each other, eyes narrowed and fists clenched tightly, the silence that surrounded them ringing loudly.

A cough and a crackle grasped at Draco's very willing attention and in a flash, he was leaning close to the fire. Astoria couldn't help her own interest being prodded and got to her feet, peering over Draco's shoulder and getting to witness the very flame stricken Lucius Malfoy. "The execution shall proceed." Lucius' voice was grave, quiet and Astoria found it really quite mesmerising how he didn't even need to be in the room to make her feel somewhat on edge and nervous about setting a toe out of line. As quick and as crackly as he had appeared, he vanished without so much as another word. This did not perturb Draco in any way, in fact, he seemed entirely elated with the news and leaned back on his legs. She didn't need to be facing him to know that he was wearing a look of pure and unadulterated glee. "Well done!" Astoria huffed rather moodily, "got your wish then, didn't you?" Her tone was rather cruel but she didn't care.

"Tastes sweet, but I guess you wouldn't know, would you, Greengrass?" Draco didn't seem to care about the steeliness her voice had held, either. Astoria scoffed and dithered on the spot, edging herself to say something smart and crushing in response but ultimately came up with nothing. Instead, she huffed in a strop and thundered her way up the stairs.

/ / /

If it was even possible, the stony silence Astoria had received from Draco after their rather marvellous clash was possibly worse than the event itself. No longer was he greeting her with polite formalities when passing, but instead not even taking notice of her, and oddly, this had started to bother her. Whether she enjoyed the fact or not, Draco was some sort of _friend_ , which was the preferred solution to their entire situation as a whole, only she had let her temper get the best of her. Yet again. So much for progress.

Valentine's Day had passed and she awoke that morning with a neatly wrapped present sitting at the foot of her bed. She had wondered if Draco had maybe conceded her to be right and it was his way of apologising, but the note had been written entirely in Narcissa's own font – even the signature that read out her son's name. What Malfoy had told his mother in order for her to do his bidding was something she didn't want to start imagining, Easter Holidays were becoming a recurring topic in the halls and she did not quite want to think how her reception at Malfoy Manor may be. There was no way on Earth that Narcissa would even tolerate Astoria's side of the story when put up against that of her dearly beloved son's, especially when it came to the topic of what had maimed him quite atrociously. It had settled quite heavily on her shoulder that she should make amends before things took another turn for something even worse, if at all possible, than what she was currently in.

It took Astoria three days to finally put need in front of her pride and dignity, and, after scouting out Goyle and receiving a series of grunts which she had to decipher in order to get Malfoy's current location, she was on her way down to the Quidditch pitch where, if she had heard correctly, Slytherin were just about due to be wrapping up their practice. There couldn't have been a more ideal time in her eyes – there would be no Blaise, no Pansy, no Theodore, no Goyle, no Crabbe, just Draco and the rest of the Slytherin team who she was hoping wouldn't be at all too keen to linger around and listen to what she had to say.

It was fairly gloomy overhead, the clouds plump with the promise of rain that Astoria really hoped to be successful in avoiding. The breeze was near non-existent, but that didn't stop it from being cold and the decision to not dress out of her school uniform was instantly a regret and the chilly, stagnant air had clung around her bare legs all the way up her skirt. She pulled her cloak a little tighter around her shoulders and ascended the stairs towards the Slytherin changing rooms, silencing her footsteps as she approached the door, listening out for any signs of life from within. There was, far more than she had reckoned, it seemed like Flint had perhaps cajoled the entire team into a practice and didn't allow the reserves the pleasure of sitting back.

With a slight scowl, Astoria raised a fist and rapped her knuckles against the wood thrice. The noise from inside stirred slightly, she could hear her knocking being passed off as the wind by one player and then someone else berating the first quickly with the fact that there wasn't much wind, and that if there was, it didn't have the strength to physically knock at a door. Someone – presumably Flint considering the way everyone listened – barked his ordered for the team to quieten and footsteps hesitantly approached the door. There was a jostle of the knob and it creaked open slowly, but eventually, it did reveal a very shirtless Marcus Flint. Astoria stayed determined and fought the urge to drop her eyes to the ground and walk away with embarrassment, so instead met his eyes and smiled. He must have recently showered, his hair was dripping beads of water down his face, there was a little bit of unwashed soap suds behind his ear and his eyes were faintly red with irritation. "Do you have a habit of answering doors almost in the nude or am I just in the wrong place at the wrong time?" She asked in ley of a greeting.

"Depends who's on the other side, doesn't it?" crooned Flint and Astoria could perceive his gaze as slightly predatory if she knew little, but Flint was as sharp and manipulative as he was a good captain, and he had certainly managed to keep his bustling gang of players in line. "I know you," he murmured lowly, moving his leg about the other side of the door to strike at an eavesdropper if the guttural wheeze was anything to go by. Astoria cocked a brow, silently willing him to carry on. "You're Malfoy's bird – Greengrass, is it?"

"Minus the feathers, I suppose that would be me."

"I dunno," Flint leered, reaching forward to tug at her curl but she was able to step back just in time for him to grasp at nothing. He stood straighter and let his hand fall to his side. "What brings you here?" Although his tone was slightly kinder than she could have expected, she did not miss the way his eyes dropped down to identify her tie before proceeding his interrogation.

"I'm here to speak with my owner."

Flint's mouth curled into an unashamed smirk, silently approving of the way she disguised her joking manner into something more serious and foolable, and he craned his neck around. "Oi, Malfoy!" He yelled, but Astoria had a feeling that the rise in volume really wasn't necessary. Few seconds passed before a leering grin appeared on Flint's face. "Greengrass," he bid with a loose nod of his head.

"Flint," she bid back, copying his nod. He left and in an instant Draco appeared, dressed out of his Quidditch kit and into his robes and not wearing the same amused look that Flint had worn, but instead looking rather peeved and slightly embarrassed. His look alone infuriated her to the point of wanting to yell at him all over again. She forced a smile and recalled what Safiya would croon at any given opportunity, something that Astoria repeated in her head like a mantra, _you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar_. Over the years she had collected its meaning of kind and pleasant gets you what you want rather than insolence and childish behaviour. "Evening, Draco."

"What do you want?" bit out Malfoy with a glare that his father would certainly be proud of.

"I was hoping we could speak privately." She kept her tone light and soft in the hopes of tugging at any sort of sentimentality or nostalgia he could possibly possess when it came to her, but Draco seemed unfazed by this, his blonde brows raising in unison and his expression incredibly patronising. His behaviour had never been more infuriating, especially when she considered all of the things he had the nerve to say to her which were individually more insulting than all of the insults she had thrown at him collectively. "Down at the bottom of the stairwell, if that's alright with you?"

Draco wasted no time on shooting back a haughty, "what's wrong with here?" that made the hairs on Astoria's arms stand on edge with annoyance. Still, she kept the smile on her face and forced out a small, sugary chuckle that was fake even to the deafest of ears.

"I don't think Flint and the rest of your team are that good at keeping their ears out of other peoples conversations." An indignant scoff from behind the door proved her point and Malfoy really had no other reason to deny her the simple request of privacy, especially when considering he had no clue of the contents of what she wished to talk about, although Astoria guessed that he could probably make an educated guess. He stared at her, his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line disapprovingly. Just as Astoria was about to drop her smile and snap at him feverishly, he jerked his head upwards and started to move silently down the stairs to her requested location. Before following, she reached forward into the space he had previously occupied, grasped onto the door handle and yanked the door shut with a slam. On the opposite side, there were numerous distinct groans of disappointment which made her smile genuinely for the first time since she had gotten there.

Malfoy was leaning against the wall in a lazy and unperturbed manner by the time Astoria reached him. He looked almost as if he had been waiting for her for a good few minutes judging by the expression on his face, although that was not the case, Astoria would be very willing to bet on the fact that she had lagged behind him for twenty seconds at the absolute most. She paused in front of him, unsure of how to phrase her apology and with each passing beat Draco's face slowly grew more irritated.

Finally, he drew a breath and opened his mouth, but Astoria beat him to the chase. "I wanted to apologise for my behaviour the other night," she coaxed her voice to be soft and as pathetic as she could possibly manage, having a very strong desire to appear weak and feeble at his own expense. It was a double-edged sword, Draco Malfoy wasn't the kindest of boys by any means, if anything he was particularly cruel, and he enjoyed preying on the weak for the smallest of laughs, but there was no doubt in Astoria's mind that no matter how much he could claim her as an annoyance and a thorn in his side, he was somewhat fond of her. He had to have been, for he was usually more than civil in conversation and never had the tendency to actively discourage her presence no matter his lack of fondness for it. She downcast her eyes to the ground, playing the part of a shamed girl. "It's inexcusable, but I do hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me."

Cautiously, Astoria lifted her eyes and immediately felt bitterly let down by the passive look that had etched onto his features. It was entirely possible that he did not find her very generic apology to be entirely fitting and it had not quelled any urges he had he treat her with hostility. This frustrated her immensely, for she had no proper plans to make the apology personal at all and this had already taken far longer than she would have liked. She drew a short breath and, with Safiya's words slipping from her mind completely, she scowled. "You don't speak to me anymore," she huffed with an air of petulance. Her sudden change in approach hooked onto Draco as interesting and his posture went from lazy and laidback to straight and willing.

Obscurely enough, the act of innocence and grace she had projected did not have nearly the same effect on him as one of grouch and annoyance. "You barely look at me, and when you do it's to glower – don't think I haven't noticed because I have!"

Malfoy gave a very characteristic sneer but said nothing.

"It's bothering me, alright? I just want to know if we're okay because I think this entire thing has been blown too far out of proportion, definitely too far for my liking."

"We're _fine_ , Greengrass, don't go about getting yourself in such a state," drawled Draco coolly and he even had the audacity to look ever so slightly amused.

"We're fine?" Astoria repeated waspishly. She stepped back and pinched the bridge of her nose to soothe the bubbling mount of irritation that threatened to leak out. "So we're friends again, then?"

"I wouldn't go as far as _that_ , but we're fine."

She could help but feel like the look of satisfaction that had appeared was not brought around by his relief to have sorted things out, but by the power he had been able to display when he had managed to bring around Astoria's temperament in a little under a minute. Resisting the urge to claw at his smarmy looking mouth, Astoria smiled. "Good."

" _Isn't_ it?"

"Mhm."

"Is that all or is there more you would like to apologise for?" Draco's odd line of questioning set her on edge and frantically she searched her brain of interactions between them to see if there was anything worth apologising for. This appeared to have pleased him, a snide and borderline cruel smile lifting at his lips. "I'm teasing," uttered Draco although there was something to his demeanour that said that he wasn't, not entirely.

Astoria straightened and smiled again. "Well, I'll let you get back to… watching Flint change?" What had meant to be the start of a prompt farewell had morphed into a bout of confusion as Draco looked perfectly ready for dinner so there was really no need for him to still be lingering about.

Draco's brows creased heavily into a deep scowl and his cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "Flint likes to drag out his conversations – what am I supposed to do, leave in the middle of one?" Sensing that she was about to fall into another round of apologies, Draco held up his hand and let out a withered sigh. "Good _bye_ , Astoria."

She smiled tersely and fled without another word, fearing that whatever she might have said after would only spin more trouble. From what she could tell, he was letting her mistakenly suggestive comment slip through his fingers under the promise that she vacate the premises without stepping the already frail line that he had drawn out himself.

The grounds had only seemed to grow colder during her time in the Quidditch tower and the sky was now almost completely dark. The air was moving more freely, but hand in hand with that it had also grown even more chilly. The hairs on Astoria's arms and legs stood on edge and her body shivered against her will as she started the walk up towards the dull illumination of the castle, listening to the soft patter of Draco's feet as the climbed the stairs back to the changing room. Growing quickly tired of the chill that hung heavily in the air and prompted by the start of rumbling in her stomach, Astoria started to run up the hill. It took her breath away quickly – at such a rate that it was a little embarrassing – and her calves burned from exertion.

She pushed herself up the stairs and into the entrance hall, turning right and immediately walking against the flow of students eager for their dinner. She half wanted to turn around and join them, already the divine smells that were being pushed out from the great hall reminding her exactly how hungry she was, but the thought of eating in her uniform made her feel sluggish and she already knew she was being read as a girl with a childish vendetta against someone or some _thing_ , she didn't want to also give people the chance to call her a slob, also.

"Astoria!" Looking to scout out the voice, she was privately pleased to find Rose bounding towards her with a large smile. Lacey and Bethan trailed behind her, looking rather uneasy and a little tentative which Astoria then tried her best not to read any further into. "Have you just had your dinner?" Rose asked in an excited rush.

"No, I'm just back from walking the grounds," she lied, uncomfortable with the idea of telling the truth and admitting she had been grovelling at Draco Malfoy's feet for forgiveness. "I was just about to change and then head down, though."

"We can wait!" proposed Rose with very wild enthusiasm, so much that it was almost unsettling. How could she have the heart to be so bright and chipper with the very person who had done nothing but skulk around feeling very sorry for themselves? The thought was almost enough to regard Rose as untrustworthy but as quick as it came Astoria was quick to squash it into oblivion.

"Don't be silly," she chided lightly, "go on in – I shouldn't be long, just save me a seat." Rose looked ready to object but a sly nudge from Lacey to the back of her leg kept her quiet. She nodded frantically, her smile still prominent and placid. She bid farewell brightly and Astoria couldn't help but smile as she lifted her hand, a smile which she couldn't quite shake off until she reached the common room entrance.

She dressed quickly, opting for a loose-fitting black smock that fell a few inches below her knees and slipped back on her school shoes, glancing quickly in the mirror and deciding that the messiness of her hair would just have to do. Quite literally jumping and skipping down the girl's dormitory stairs with a newfound enthusiasm that she hadn't felt in quite some time, Astoria found herself feeling lighter than she had done in quite some time. She felt as though she had conquered quite a fair bit during her day – she had been personally praised by Lupin for her most recent essay, Flitwick had complimented her wand work, she had sucked up the courage to apologise to Draco Malfoy, and her roommates – mainly just Rose, but surely Lacey and Bethan would follow along quickly enough – seemed to be quite content on picking back up their friendship without her having to grovel at their feet, too. It was a relief, and she hadn't ever quite taken into consideration just how much the weight would have been taken off her shoulders had she just sucked up her pride in the first place, because quite plainly her judgement wasn't entirely to be trusted.

Catching herself teetering on the edge of actual real-life happiness, Astoria squeaked as she walked right into the front of someone rather tall. "Sorry!" she apologised immediately, that particular phrase becoming something short of a typical reoccurrence in the past hours. "I wasn't looking where I was –" her sentence was cut short as she took a step back, her eyes widening comically large. Nicolai – the very person she had done very well to avoid in every given situation and had very well mastered it down to an art – stalled and stared right back at her. He had grown mightily tall in the month it had been since they had within measuring distance, and she would be a fool to not recognise that his absence in her life, no matter how much of that had been brought upon by her own will, was a little depressing. She missed his smile and she even kind of missed the stammering mess she would often turn into in his presence.

"Astoria," muttered Nicolai curtly. It stung a little, how much distaste he had managed to speak her name with. She nodded primly, offered him a smile that she was certain looked about as fake as it felt, and stepped to the side. "Don't run off!" Nicolai breathed, urgency creeping into his tone.

"You don't want me gone, then?" Astoria mentally cursed herself at how child-like she sounded, resembling a told off child in need of a good cry far too much for her own comfort. Nicolai shook his head. "Alright, then." She stood awkwardly in his shadow, looking down at her hands as she fiddled with the front of her dress, pulling it up and down the front of her legs, twisting it around her fingers.

It was a long moment before a sound between the two of them was made, Nicolai clearing his throat with haste to grab her attention. "I'm sorry," his voice was soft like silk and quiet like a breath of air. "I'm sorry about what I said about your sister. And Nott." His willingness to apologise for a situation he really didn't do anything wrong in other than be rather innocently arrogant was incredibly touching. She dropped her dress and looked up to meet his rather penetrating gaze.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," she chastised quietly, intertwining her fingers to stop herself from impulsively reaching out and touching his shoulder.

"I made you upset."

"Still," admonished Astoria adamantly. "You didn't mean to, right?"

Astoria couldn't help but notice with a note of nervousness that Nicolai had come become increasingly high strung as their conversation progressed. While she kept her stance still and gifted him every ounce of her attention to display her willingness to hear him out and listen to all he wanted to say, his entire body looked completely rigid. He continued to clench and unclench his fists, put all his weight onto one foot only to move it to the other moments later and he appeared unable to go any more than ten seconds without sucking at his lower lip. He took a half step forward, closer than they had ever been, and in a state of confused alarm, Astoria didn't have the heart to even it out by moving in stride. "I – Astoria, can I ask you something?"

Not wanting to trust her voice, she nodded dumbly.

"I – I want to kiss you."

Wanting to lighten the mood with a smart, teasing comment about his lack of actual questioning and not having quite been able to process the actual contents of Nicolai's sentence, Astoria opened her mouth retaliate, silenced before she even had the chance to speak. Nicolai's mouth pressed on the edge of her own. It only lasted for the smallest of seconds, gone before it had even started, Astoria wasn't _actually_ sure if it had even happened, but the lingering feeling of a touch told her otherwise. Her heart hammered in her chest and she couldn't muster the courage to move, stuck rooted in place. His breath fanned over her face as he let out a sigh of dispassion and much to her mixture of horror and delight, he leaned in again, his eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. This time he succeeded in placing her mouth correctly, his puckered lips covering her slightly agape ones. Nicolai conducted the kiss with more force the second time around, managing to nearly push her over with his own eagerness, reaching forward and holding at her elbows.

Astoria could not for the life of her think of anything, it was like her brain had decided that it could shut down because it had achieved its unspoken and unknown dream of getting kissed by Nicolai Avery. Her silent internal bliss was cut short, the sound of a very sharp cough sending Astoria jumping several feet away from Nicolai's body. Her face burned and she was fairly certain she looked the colour of a tomato. She could not see it, but she was fairly certain Nicolai must have been looking equally, if not _more_ , embarrassed as her. He muttered something hastily about dinner and left without another word or so much as a look in her direction – that was something she couldn't even bring herself to be mad about, in fact, she was rather relieved. Not willing to stand in a room with the person who had just witnessed her first kiss, Astoria turned on the balls of her feet and ran hastily up the stairs, her hunger momentarily forgotten.

/ / /

Over the next few days, Astoria found herself unable to meet Nicolai's eye, which she found to be entirely okay considering that he had kissed her out of the blue. The memory of his lips on hers still made her cheeks flush pink and left her with a grin that she could not quite get rid of. She had yet to tell anyone but was accosted rather frequently of thoughts of just blurting it out at the most inopportune times – the most frequent time was as when was laying in her bed ready for sleep, that was always when she just wanted to blurt it out the most, but the thought of the Carrow twins being around to witness her excitement was always immediately off-putting.

The identity of the person who had interrupted them remained unknown to her, but the thought of someone else knowing that she had kissed Nicolai Avery was unsettling. Very unsettling indeed. She could possibly ask Nicolai himself as surely he must have laid eyes on the person in his very quick attempt at getting out of the situation by running off to dinner, but if she could not look him in the eyes while speaking to him, how on earth could she be expected to ask, very brazenly, about the identity of the individual. Besides that, Nicolai had not made another attempt at kissing her nor had he really shown much affection to her post-kiss. But she wasn't dwelling on that matter, no, not at all. He had been speaking to her, though, so she couldn't entirely dismiss his "attraction" to her.

The holidays were approaching quicker than she would care to admit, and while her "issue" with Draco had been cleared – no longer did he glower in the halls or spit out her surname like it was poison on his tongue, he had resigned to not really saying much at all, which was something she could tolerate – she now only had Safiya's surprising silence to deal with. It had been a fleeting month and a half since any correspondence had occurred between the two of them, and it was starting to worry Astoria beyond measurability. Stoney silence was something she expected and regularly experienced from Violeta, in fact, it had become something to expect from her mother, but from Safiya – well, it hurt to even think what it could possibly mean.

It was obvious that Blaise was the absolute love of her life, nothing could ever compare to the love she had for her son, although the love she had for Daphne and Astoria definitely did come close, but upon recognising this, would it be possible to divert Safiya's love if she had managed to offend and single out two objects of her love and devotion? The mere thought of it was enough to send Astoria's stomach lurching.

Drumming her fingernails against the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, Astoria let out a soft sigh. She straightened and pulled her ponytail away from her back and around her left shoulder, just half an inch away from the tip of her hair dipping into her bowl of porridge. Rose eyed her wearily over her mug of tea, the steam clouding her vision ever so slightly. "Is everything alright, Astoria?"

"Yes," she answered immediately with little to no conviction. "Do you think Herbology will be cancelled today?" hoping that her question would pose as an appropriate diversion from her wellbeing, Astoria peered up at the ceiling, watching the very heavy rain clouds beat down raid that evaporated seven feet up from the ground.

"Probably not," Rose answered, getting an eyeful of the weather herself. Astoria let out an uneven hum, secretly pleased with her success. Rose huffed and her eyes narrowed into a furious glare, "my hair will be ruined! I spend half an hour curling it this morning – and what of my make-up?" Astoria privately thought that it would probably do her the world of good for some of her make-up to slide off her face, the rather heavy eyeshadow and bold lip were more suited for a grand ball rather than a double period of Herbology.

"Cast a charm?" suggested Astoria feebly, because while not aligned with her tastes, she did suppose that Rose would have to make a few mistakes until she was settled upon a look that complimented her and her youth rather than ageing her beyond her years. It would also make for an amusing story to tell her future children – _I knew your mother when she was turning up to classes looking like she was ready to clock in for a shift down at the harbour_. Before Rose could ask Astoria to do that for her rather than attempting it herself, the warning bell overhead rang, causing her to scowl. Rose reached under the table and hauled her bag through her legs, pre-emptively holding it over her head to shield her hair. Astoria couldn't help but snicker at her ridiculous behaviour.

"Astoria!"

The call of her name stopped her from getting out of her chair and instead looked around eagerly for the source – a task she wasn't required to carry our because Rose, already standing and having a better view of the Hall and the people in it, scoffed out loud with disbelief. "Why is _Nicolai Avery_ shouting your name so enthusiastically? Are you two in love?"

" _No_!" Astoria huffed, her cheeks colouring. Once knowing that it was Nicolai after her, it was easy to scout him out, pushing through the crowd in an attempt to get close to her. "Go to Herbology, see if you can look out Lacey and Bethan – they should be on their way back from the library now. Just save me a seat!" Looking to be on the verge of squealing with excitement from something that wasn't even happening to her, Rose complied, throwing an exaggerated and highly suggestive wink Astoria's way before blending in with the crowd.

"Astoria, wait!"

She didn't make a move, nor had she even before his request, but his voice sounded closer than it had before, something she was privately glad of if she wanted to make it to class on time. "Hello," she greeted quietly as he stopped where Rose had once sat, letting drop a large pile of letters in front of him. "That's a lot of post to get through," she noted conversationally, using her point of interest as a reason not to look at him.

"They're yours."

She sharpened immediately, and kiss be damned, she looked up from the mass of envelopes to stare him in the eye. "I found them!" he cried defensively, "I was looking for my charms book in the common room and there they were, under the armchair."

"How did they get there?" asked Astoria frantically, reaching forward and grabbing at three, noticing with a very happy heart that they all bore very similar appearance to Safiya's scrawl. She grasped for more, her heart positively soaring when they all of the address appeared to have been written by the same person.

"Beats me," Nicolai shrugged, now free of the mound of letters and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his robes. "Come on, stuff these in your bag – we'll be late getting to the Greenhouse." Astoria nodded and opened her bag, flinging the letters in haphazardly. "Thank you so much! I didn't even know my letters were going missing – I was thinking my step-mother hated me!"

"Nobody could hate you, Astoria. But I'm glad I could help."

She couldn't help but smile and no matter how hard she tried, it just wouldn't leave. Not that she minded.

/ / /

 _Dear Saf,_

 _The most bizarre thing has happened – for some reason, Elrick has been delivering all of your letters elsewhere and they were in a pile underneath the table. Nicolai Avery found them and brought them to me this morning – what a doll!_

 _Maybe Elrick did it because I wouldn't feed him anything when he delivered my mail? I don't know, but my lesson has been well and truly learnt._

 _It has made me happy knowing that you have been thinking of me daily when I feared that you wanted nothing to forget._

 _I can't write much now, I have to send this urgently so it will reach you before you go to bed. I also have a History of Magic essay to write that's due third period tomorrow that I haven't started. But it's mostly because I want you to rest easy tonight knowing that I don't hate you._

 _With all my love,_

 _Astoria x_

/ / /

The rain had passed throughout the day and left a chilly breeze and grey skies in its wake. The _Daily Prophet_ had reported in its weather section that it should be the last of the rain until the end of April, but Astoria definitely wouldn't try her luck on trusting this. Feeling a bit silly wrapped in her winter robe, she pled to Merlin that she would not be spotted by anybody, especially Nicolai Avery. He had been nothing but a delight since that morning when he had solely located her letters and managed to put her worrying heart at ease. He had sat by her in Herbology, let her share his inkpot in potions when she couldn't locate her own amongst the pile of mail, partnered with her in Defence, and refilled her water at dinner without being asked to. All day, her body thrummed with excitement and sheer glee.

Stepping up onto the owlery with her letter clutched in hand, Astoria froze, her eyes catching onto Daphne's slender body, attaching a letter to the foot of a tawny owl. Astoria gulped, not daring to make a noise as she watched her mind her own business. It hadn't been an age since they last spoke and she had, of course, seen her around the castle – that much was inevitable – but seeing Daphne on her own for the first time since Sirius Black had broken in at the beginning of the month was as close as Astoria had gotten to an outer body experience. All she could envision was herself stood statue still at the top of the stairs watching over her sister, and for Daphne to turn around, take one look at her and laugh with disgust. Perhaps she'd even push her down the stairs, she was so conveniently placed after all…

When Daphne did turn around, it was nothing like Astoria had pictured. She let out a soft gasp, lifting her hand to her mouth and the soft sound of the owl she had just sent off flying into the night sky was the only sound that could be heard for a long, gruelling twenty seconds.

"Astoria," she let out in a gust of air. Daphne took a deep breath and, as if she was approaching a timid animal, stepped forward cautiously. "How are you?"

"Nicolai Avery kissed me." Astoria felt just as shocked at Daphne looked, apparently so beyond keeping it to herself, she had automatically let the words fall off her tongue without so much as a conscious, coherent thought.

"Is – is that a good thing?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think it is."

Daphne nodded and pulled her lips into a delicate smile. "I've missed you." Astoria didn't know what to say – had she missed Daphne? Of course she had, but the bitter hurt of her secrecy still stung and she wasn't so sure she could fully look past that. Instead of a verbal response, she nodded mutely. "Ria, I'm – I'm _so sorry_."

" _Shh_ ," beckoned Astoria with a dismissive wave of her hand, "don't. Don't – it's _okay_ –"

"But it's not, is it?" Daphne's chin started to wobble and her lips pouted, her eyes slowly started to glisten under the light provided by the dim glow of the torches. "I shouldn't have kept it from you, and if I could turn back time and right my mistakes, I would!" she claimed passionately. "You're my sister. I should have –"

"Daph, _please_ ," fully aware of her own onslaught of tears, Astoria wanted nothing more than to squash them out before they had the chance to drip down her face messily. "It's okay – I forgive you." The craziest part of that statement was that she truly felt it within her heart when just seconds prior she wanted nothing more than for them to acknowledge their well-being and continue until she was more ready to accept an apology. All of that past resentment was instantly forgotten when seeing the sincerity on her sister's face – how could she ever think that Daphne, sweet, precious Daphe, was capable of actively trying to humiliate her publically? If she had kept her relationship with Nott a secret, there had to be a good reason. Astoria was willing to wager that his face was one of them, maybe even the vastly deteriorating mental status of his father, and his position within their society. Or perhaps Daphne was just shy.

"I forgive you," Astoria repeated firmly, closing the gap between them in three large strides and forcing Daphne into her embrace.

/ / /

 **I deeply apologise, I've had this chapter written for a good two months and was under the guise that I had posted it until I was snooping about my own profile. The next chapter is planned and partially written, so it shouldn't be too long until it's up, I'm shooting for a week, two at the very most.**

 **On another note, I really do wish that my first kiss was a little like Astoria's – minus the interruption, of course. I'm also entirely glad that I can move her out of her little funk, but it will be addressed throughout the holiday's as she rekindles with Narcissa.**

 **Drop me a review and let me know what you think! I'm trying to revamp and improve my style of writing, so any critique is welcomed.**


	15. Chapter 15

The weather picked up in time for the final week of school – gone were the dark, intimidating clouds that would spout cold rain intermittently throughout the day and in came the sunny spells, bright skies and an abnormal yet promising warmth. With only one final day of classes already halfway done, Astoria couldn't wait to wake the next morning and be taken far away from the rising tensions that were brewing between Slytherin and Gryffindor over the upcoming Quidditch final. It had started out light and jovial, something to laugh at while an unexpectant fourth year would strike down a sixth year in a crowded hall so the perpetrator couldn't be identified and had steadily boiled down to having to keep your wand tightly clutched in hand, always ready for an attack. It was the only time that Astoria had hidden her tie behind her black robes instead of displaying it proudly.

As well as bringing the Quidditch season to a close, it was also the time of year for Second Years to decide on their subjects – something that Astoria had left uncharacteristically to the last moment. She had never been one for procrastination, the stress that came along with it was something she didn't care for experiencing, but Rose and Lacey's point-blank refusal to even glance at the information sheet made it so that she couldn't even at least attempt to make their prospects for their next timetable similar. Bethan was neither passive nor impassive, a neutral party in its very form. No matter how much she huffed, pleaded, groaned or snapped, she was not able to convince them in the slightest that it would be the better, more logical reason to hand them in as soon as they possibly could.

"This is so _stressful_ ," Rose pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes scanning over the description passage for Care of Magical Creatures for the third time. "I knew we should have started this earlier. Why didn't we start this earlier?"

Astoria's head snapped towards her with a fierce glare, but she was ignored on all three counts.

"Even the _Carrow's_ have finished – just look at them," Rose pointed with the end of her quill down the length of the Slytherin dining table where Hestia and Flora were blissfully unaware of their newly gained attention, chatting between them and sharing two ham and cheese sandwiches off of one plate. Astoria huffed and tore a grape from its bunch, biting off half to keep herself from saying anything. "Do you think they chose the easy ones?" Rose wondered aloud, tickling the tip of her nose with the end of her quill.

The easy options were deemed to be Care of Magical Creatures – especially more so now when considering the current professor – and Divination, both subjects that don't require much studying, thought or anything at all, making them rather attractive ways to point your education for a smooth, care-free ride. "I bet they chose the easy ones."

"I think I might choose the easy ones," proclaimed Bethan, flipping over the sheet and dipping her quill in ink, looking very ready to write them down. "Or at least one of them. My third cousin's old Nanny was a seer." This seemed to only spur her on and before Astoria could object and try to make her see sense, Bethan scribbled down the word vigorously.

"You don't even _like_ animals, Beth. What do you think _Care_ of Magical _Creatures_ will involve?" Lacey sneered, striking a bold line through the subject at hand, the tip of her quill hovering over Arithmancy.

"Yeah, well, it's either that or Muggle Studies and I'm not trying to get myself disowned."

Astoria sighed and pressed the palms of her hands into either eye until she saw stars. "I think I'll take Ancient Ruins," she murmured on a whim. "I can write and speak in five languages so maybe I'll be good at it."

"Oh!" Rose crooned, reaching across a platter of sandwiches to place her hand delicately over the top of Astoria's arm as an act of comfort, "you're so smart, Astoria, you'll be great." Astoria smiled in thanks, using the back of the hand that she held her grape with to pat at Rose. "In fact," Rose declared with a proud, unabashed grin, withdrawing her hand, "we can all take Ancient Runes! Then you won't be alone!"

Before Astoria even had the chance to deny their offer – knowing fully well that she'd spend a long while helping and possibly even completing their homework for them – both Lacey and Bethan were nodding vigorously in agreement. "Wonderful!" Bethan exclaimed, sounding thoroughly satisfied, "that's me picked all mines." She folded the paper twice, ignoring the shoddy job she made and tucked it into the front of her bag. "I can give it to Snape next – now he won't have an excuse to glare at me like I've committed some heinous crime."

"It's Snape," Lacey intoned dully, "he doesn't _need_ a reason."

"So, are we all taking Divination and Ancient Runes, then? So that our timetables can match?" Rose asked although Astoria could only guess that she posed it as a question out of formality rather than genuine curiosity for she had already started to fill in her second slot.

"I don't want to take Divination – both my sister and Draco says it's a pile of Hippogriff poo," objected Astoria meekly, already feeling rather resigned. "And Trelawney's fashion sense is ghastly, I don't think I can take her seriously with her hideous shawls and tumbler glasses."

"I suppose we could take Care of Magical Creatures instead?" Lacey proposed sounding a little put off with her own suggestion.

Images of Draco's arm bound in a sling flashed through her mind and she shook her head. "You three take Divination, I'll take Arithmancy." The three girls turned to stare at her as if waiting for a catch of some sort but when none came, Rose took the lead and nodded.

"Alright – but only if you're sure?"

"I'm sure!"

"Maybe we'll get lucky and Divination and Arithmancy will be in the same slots!" Rose's optimism was inspiring, but Astoria did not share the same sentiment.

"I hope they will," she murmured honestly, not liking the thought of having to sit alone in most classes. "We're all done, then? Now we can eat?" asked Astoria, signing her name at the bottom of the parchment with a flourish. Reaching forward to collect their own selection of lunches Astoria was not answered.

Distracting her from collecting more grapes and piling them onto her plate, a loud, howling laugh screeched out from the other end of the table and Astoria couldn't help but turn, captivated by what could deem that level of laughter. It was Pansy Parkinson laughing at, Astoria could only guess, something that Draco had said that definitely didn't warrant such an explosive and enthusiastic reaction. _Oh, the lengths a girl in need of attention will go to_ , Astoria through wryly. She watched the group with little interest – there was nothing to captivate her attention down at her end of the table, so she supposed that they would just have to do. Half of the Slytherin Quidditch team were sitting a snickering into their bowls, plates and food filled hands accompanied by Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Tracey.

They were an interesting bunch, Astoria would give them that. There was Marcus Flint who reclined sideways, eyes squinting at each of his teammates with amusement and if she could identify it correctly, a hint of pride. He looked better when clothed, his tie hanging loosely around his neck and his top two buttons undone on his shirt. The other boys Astoria couldn't place by name, but she was certain she must have heard about them at some point or another. Draco – the only other Quidditch player she could identify – stood at the head of the table, a place that Astoria couldn't help but find rather odd considering he was the youngest in the position where, typically, the alpha leader would maintain their power. Pansy looked absolutely elated to even be in his presence despite her lack of attention which was rather sad. Crabbe and Goyle were too involved with eating lunch to really take notice of what was being said or going on around them. Tracey looked incredibly bored, looking down at her nails and pushing her cuticles back, smiling and prompting the conversation on when she saw fit.

The group laughed again, but this time it was Marcus who prompted it and Pansy didn't laugh nearly as loud or as enthusiastically as she had done previously, she hardly even laughed at all. Astoria looked the group over again, starting at the back of Marcus' head and moving slowly round with the intention of ending on Tracey and resuming to her current group. Her eyes moved across a pale shade and for the briefest of seconds, Astoria and Draco stared at each other. With a slight jolt, It dawned on her that he must have had already been staring at her and she smiled in an attempt to relieve her own awkwardness. He returned it, or maybe he didn't, because the smallest of smiles that she thought she had witnessed was gone quicker than it had even appeared, and his eyes had turned away and he was saying something in a low voice. Nervous and even slightly embarrassed, Astoria turned away and busied herself with grabbing at a roll and buttering it liberally. A sudden outburst of loud and obnoxious laughter caused her cheeks to flush.

Determined not to give into the urge to turn back around and try to figure out what they were laughing at – and mainly to see if they were laughing at her – Astoria straightened out the subject information sheet and read the descriptions all over again.

Draco's behaviour since her apology had changed in a way that made her possibly more uncomfortable as she had been prior. The visible hostility he had shown had vanished and, instead, it was replaced with an unnerving static silence on his part. He met her smiles in passing with short nods of acknowledgement and her verbal greetings at meals with a blunt _hello_. She had pinned it down to stress, for a large part of Slytherin's chance at winning the Quidditch cup rested on his shoulders and that was sure to intimidate even the best of players, but it was moments like those where he could be seen laughing, joking, and being all over _normal_ and met her with utter passivity that made her think again.

"Pass me some of those grapes, would you, Astoria?" Bethan asked, eyeing her hand that lay limply in the bowl.

"Oh! Sorry, yeah, of course!" Ripping three mini vines Astoria passed them over with a bashful smile.

/ / /

The train jostled as it turned a corner, evoking a snicker from Pansy as Millicent's sleeping head twitched down to her shoulder and snapped up again. Astoria failed to see the humour but smiled whenever Pansy laughed just to be nice, privately cursing her quick acceptance to Daphne's offer to sit in her compartment on the journey home.

Her sister, who she was now quickly starting to detest all over again, had sprung off to find the food trolley twenty minutes into the journey and had not returned for an entire hour. Pansy scoffed and made a suggestive comment about Nott's wand and was shut down quickly by Tracey who then proceeded to tell a five minute story about how with them being at the bottom end of the train and the trolley starting up at the top, it would, logically, take Daphne possibly even longer with the queues of people who had skipped breakfast hungover from the previous night and finished by sending a pointed look to Pansy which seemed to Astoria that, perhaps, they had also partaken in this _end of term_ drinking festival that had occurred the night previously if the scowl on Pansy's face and the rate at which Millicent had dropped off to sleep at was anything to go by. Tracey assured Astoria that Nott's wand didn't come into any of it and that he was actually staying at Hogwarts over the holidays, so he couldn't get it polished even if he wanted to. Astoria didn't care about Nott's personal upkeep of his wand, but the quicker the conversation would be dispelled the happier she would become, so she didn't say anything further.

Pansy sighed heavily and thumped her head back against the headrest dramatically. She sighed again with even more passion when she noticed nobody paid her attention. About to start her third sigh, Tracey ruffled the _Daily Prophet_ she held in her hands and closed it. "Is there something _wrong_ , Pansy?" asked Tracey haughtily.

"Now that you ask, there is, yeah," Pansy muttered forlornly, acting as if that wasn't the exact reaction she was hoping for. "It's Draco – things aren't the same as they used to be." Despite having Tracey's begrudging attention, she turned towards Astoria. "Have you noticed anything off about him?"

Astoria opened her mouth to reply with a very hearty _yes_ , secretly glad that she wasn't the only one who had noticed or experienced his rather peculiar behaviour, but before she could form any sort of noise, she recalled the maniacal laughter that had followed after Draco had caught her looking at them and she wondered if, perhaps, that Pansy was setting up a scheme of sorts. Astoria shook her head and closed her mouth, not trusting her words to properly convey any truth.

Pansy let out a withered sigh and Tracey huffed, reopening her paper. "All he wants to do nowadays is talk about _Harry Potter_. Oh, Pansy!" she cried in a fake masculine voice that Astoria guessed was supposed to be an impression, but it sounded so far from Draco that it was rather hilarious, "I cannot _believe_ that Potter is still allowed to roam free after all he did! Breaking into Hogsmeade, throwing mud at me, I simply cannot believe it!" Pansy let out a frustrated and rather predatorial growl. "What do you think I should do?"

"Stop whining, perhaps?" Tracey suggested monotonously, not even bothering to look over the top of the newspaper, her eyes darting back and forth as she read. The corners of Astoria's mouth twitched upwards, yearning to smile. She grabbed at the collar of her robe and pulled it up and over her chin to conceal any kind of enjoyment.

"Oh, sod off, Trace! I'm hurting, you're supposed to care!" Tracey's eyes stilled but she said nothing. Pansy didn't care and again, she sighed. "What do you think, Astoria?"

The robe fell from Astoria's face and she turned to stare at Pansy with wide eyes. "What do I _what_?" A muffled noise came from behind the paper that sounded suspiciously like a laugh but Tracey's eyes didn't move or deceive anything.

"Well, I was thinking that you probably spend just as much time with Draco as I do -" the paper was crumpled into Tracey's lap in an instant as she closely observed Pansy with a very watchful eye, "- so I was thinking that you, perhaps, have some advice. You know, member to member of _course_."

Tracey's behaviour was a little alarming, Astoria didn't really consider Pansy's line of questioning to evoke such a strong urge to beat up the _Prophet_ edition she grasped tightly. "There hasn't been a meeting in a long while," Tracey huffed curtly. "In fact, there have been about three meetings this year – couldn't it now be considered an occasional gathering rather than a fully-fledged cult?"

"Being a member of EPW isn't _just_ about the meetings, Trace," responded Pansy, her eyes not leaving the side of Astoria's face, but her body twitched rather violently as she withheld the urge to pin Tracey with a ferocious glower. "It's a state of mind!" Astoria couldn't help but sneer, her nose wrinkling and her eyes narrowing incredulously.

"I'm going to go and find my friends," Astoria mumbled, rising to her feet. She misjudged just how eager Pansy was to get her opinion and just how far she would go to get it for she was promptly shoved back down. Too surprised to snap, Astoria stared at Pansy with wide eyes.

Coming to her senses, Pansy smiled with a little humiliation and a sugar-spun, sickly fake apology tumbled from her mouth. Unsure of what to really say or do, Astoria slouched back, not bothering to acknowledge or respond to Pansy's falseness. From beside her, Tracey scoffed loudly and threw her abused newspaper across to the compartment to the vacant space by Millicent, who stirred a little at the commotion but didn't wake.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Astoria said blandly.

Pansy didn't like that, her face contorted into a look of ugly displeasure and she huffed with rage. "How is he with you?" all sense of pleasantries were apparently out the window as Pansy's tone went rather cold and she sounded more demanding like a petulant child. It was obvious that she was an only child, Astoria couldn't help but observe, she had an air of apparent importance to her and she got rather stroppy when things didn't seem to be going her way or if she wasn't getting paid much attention.

"Fine, I suppose," Astoria relented reluctantly.

"Fine? Define _fine_."

"Not awful? Getting along well? No sign of obvious hatred? I think he might have smiled at me this morning in passing and said _hi_?" That was an utter lie, but Pansy didn't need to know that.

"So he's speaking to you, then?" Astoria could see the cogs in Pansy's head turning and slowly the furious look in her eyes died down into something she couldn't quite pitch as confusion, sadness or weariness.

"I – I suppose so?" She really couldn't and found herself unable to meet any of the eyes in the room, the sudden guilt for lying so much was just as confusing as it was crushing. "I really don't know what you want me to say."

"Huh," Pansy let out with a breath as she stepped back, the back of her legs hitting against the padding for the bench, prompting her to sit heavily. "Alright," she straightened her posture in an attempt to look more poised, "you can go."

Astoria was unable to stop the hefty and instinctual scoff. The audacity! If Pansy had noticed that her lingo had become far too comfortable with status she only wished she had possessed – or was it intentional? – she didn't let it show, her head facing the window and eyes staring at the reflections rather than the blur of green and grey. "Thanks for the dismissal."

Getting out of the compartment was like a breath of fresh air – away from Pansy's obnoxious and grand behaviour, Tracey's obscure vendetta against journal writing, and Millicent's soft yet grating snores, Astoria felt like she could finally breathe. Daphne be damned, she was not going to spend another second behind those sliding doors, no matter the cost. Inevitably she'd return, she thought dimly with an eye roll, she would have to collect her trunk so she would actually have clothes that fit her over the spring holidays.

Her moment of blissful silence did not last long as almost as soon as the door to Pansy and Tracey's compartment clicked shut a harmonious chorus of her name sounded from the opposite end. Irritated that the surprises just didn't stop coming, Astoria didn't bother to hide her look of discomfort and displeasure.

Luckily, it wasn't anybody of importance. The Carrow twins hadn't changed a bit since she had first laid eyes on them in their first year, except perhaps they were an inch or two taller and now their teeth were all fully grown in with horrific alignment. Astoria oddly admired the way they carried themselves as for years their family name had been the lowest of the Pureblooded families that were worth respecting and yet they walked the halls – or in this case the train carriage – with little to no embarrassment or shame.

Despite that, Astoria in no way wanted to actually conversate with them or give them any of her time, but she was stuck between making an obvious turn and walking in the opposite direction after making very blatant eye contact, wandering back into the compartment containing Pansy and hoping that her foul mood would deter them from entering, or holding her breath, acting mature and sticking out the next few moments of her life just to speak with them.

Her decision was made in the form of Draco Malfoy sauntering into the carriage through the door that had been used by the twins' seconds before, followed closely by Nicolai Avery. Unsure exactly why, an odd and sickening feeling bubbled away in her stomach, worsening when they seemed to be talking together in hushed, urgent tones. This intrigued her, never once had either of them displayed any sort of reason to speak with each other in any situation, never mind acting as though they were passing secrets between them. With an alarming sensation of cold water being poured over her head, Astoria realised that the only thing that those two had in common besides belonging to the same house was _her_.

She hadn't felt guilty about kissing Avery – or at the very least letting him kiss her – but suddenly, when faced with the prospects of Malfoy finding out by any other person besides her made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Astoria!" Flora squawked, her arms flapping wildly and never before had Astoria noticed how incredibly bird like she actually was.

"Hello," greeted Astoria curtly.

The deliberate and forced hostility in her tone did nothing to dampen the twins' overly chipper tones. Hestia – who she was only able to identify by the large chip in her front tooth that was not present in her sisters – reached an arm forward and before Astoria could react, she wrapped a spindly finger around a lock of her hair, threading it through her nails softly, letting it drop back onto her chest. Alarmed and feeling rather accosted, Astoria took a step back. "Your hair is getting so long! And so soft, what do you use?"

"Shampoo and conditioner – although I don't suppose either of _you_ would be familiar." Looking over Flora's shoulder, Astoria felt a sense of disappointment as both Malfoy and Avery had come to a stop, too far for her to listen in successfully and with the lack of hiding places there was no way she would be able to get the twins' away and eavesdrop successfully. Both boys were animated in their movements and expressed whatever they were saying grandly, she could definitely pinpoint the aura of frustration that was going on and it irked her even more to not know what it was about.

"We heard that you were having a birthday party over the holidays," so engrossed with trying to figure out the contents of the conversation going on that she was not a part of, Astoria couldn't even begin to identify what twin had spoken and if she was honest, she didn't even care. She watched as Nicolai's face moved away from Malfoy's and his eyes gave a hard roll.

"For my birthday, yes, yes," muttered Astoria distractedly, stepping up on the tips of her toes and craning her neck to look over Hestia's head. Her eyes widened theatrically as Avery stepped up to Malfoy, mouth curled into a snarl and he leaned close to his ear, lips barely moving and Astoria's mind ran wild with the possibilities of what could have been said.

"Astoria? Astoria, are you listening?"

"Yes!" she snapped feverishly, dropping back onto her feet and looking at the twins with a heavy glower. "Yes, I'm listening."

"We heard the information from Rose, so there's no need for an invitation if there's none left – it's held at your Manor, yes?"

"What are you speaking about, Carrow's?" Frustrated and feeling a little unsatisfied as she watched Malfoy sneer at Avery, turn around and leave the carriage without so much as a glance her way, Astoria folded her arms across her chest and scowled deeply. "Of course I'd be holding it at my home – where else would it be? The middle of the Pacific ocean? Why are you two still speaking to me?"

Not as thick and dense as they were perceived by many, possibly even all, the twins smiled toothily – and what a _sight_ that was – and stepped to either side of her, re-joining at her back and linking arms, walking away far too smugly for Astoria's liking.

She tugged a hand through her tangled hair and huffed out a breath. "Oi, Avery!" she hollered, perfectly aware of his obscure lingering that she had a sneaking suspicion was because he had noticed her previously and intended to catch her alone – but it also easily could have been not wanting to trail in the same direction as Malfoy too quickly after something that was definitely not friendly by any means.

He had the decency to look surprised, pushing himself from the window he had leaned on, widening his eyes and placing a hand over his chest to feign surprise. "Alright, Astoria?" His casual tone was forced and it wasn't hard to notice.

"What were you and Malfoy talking about?" she asked bluntly, not wanting to beat around any bushes, feeling far too worn down to attempt being fake and malicious to get what she wanted. She could only hope that he would appreciate her honesty.

"Nothing, just a little bit of this and a little bit of that – why?" Her abruptness had caught him off guard, she could tell straight away by his instant change in his demeanour – no longer did he look tolerant and kind, but instead stony and rigid.

"I'm just curious, is all." She tried a smile to see if that would smooth over Nicolai's ridges, a little disappointed when it didn't work to the extent that she had wished it would. "You both looked… _tense_."

Obviously not the only one good at contorting a situation, Nicolai smiled too, although his looked entirely fake and lacked any depth of emotion. "Nah, you're just seeing things, Astoria. It's nothing to get all up in arms about – Listen, I have to dash, I promised Adam I wouldn't be too long. I'll see you on the thirteenth? I'm excited to where the much marvelled Astoria Greengrass grew up, maybe sneak a look at baby pictures," Nicolai reached forwards and gave Astoria's shoulder a firm clap – that was much too friendly coming from a boy who possibly might have ravished her in the Common Room had they not been interrupted, for her liking – and left without another word.

/ / /

Astoria awoke in her own bed at Greengrass Estate on the morning of the thirteenth. An unusual occurrence and probably the last time it would ever happen in her life considering it was the final week of the holidays and, as her agreement with the Malfoy's stated, it was her week to be held within their lands until the Hogwarts Express departed the station to "bond" with her betrothed. Oddly gifted to her by an obscure visit by Narcissa Malfoy alone, Astoria couldn't seem to pin together the motive behind the unasked for but entirely wanted gift. She had briefly toyed with the thought of Narcissa feeling guilty over her spectacle at Christmas time, but the logic of Narcissa never feeling regret and certainly never trying to right it quickly dispelled it.

Astoria sighed and stared up at the ceiling. Thirteen. She lifted her hand and looked at it, almost as if she were expecting it to look older. She didn't feel any different than she had the day before when she was still twelve. Turning her head to look over at the window, the sun was still rather low, so it couldn't be later than eight.

She could hear murmurs, footsteps and furniture shifting filtering up through the stairwell from the floor below, serving as a heavy reminder of the day that lay ahead. So many Greengrasses under one roof, it could only end in disaster. And Violeta! What was supposed to be a good day could only end in bloodshed and tears.

A sharp knock on her door caused her to physically flinch and a gasp fell from her mouth. "Mistress tells Trinket to wake the brat for breakfast! Mistress, I tell her, the young brat will wake for nobody –"

"I'm up!" griped Astoria, throwing the covers off of her body and sitting with a slouch, "tell Safiya I'm up! Leave!" A hiss sounded from behind the door, strangled, throaty and far too close to the keyhole for any sort of comfort. Reaching across to her bedside table and picking up an unlit candle, Astoria threw it across the room, wincing as it clattered against the door with a mighty clang. With a wail and a pop, she safely assumed that Trinket had vanished and with it restored her privacy. Looking at the damage she had done, she watched as a lick of white paint smoothed over the soot marking the burned wick had left behind. The candle was not broken, and with the door now looking as it had done before Trinket had ruined her day, it would be her word against that of a house elf's. Astoria was feeling pretty good about her odds.

She picked up the candle on her way to pick up her dressing gown, tying it loosely over her nightgown. She propped the candle against the mirror on her vanity, squinting and catching sight of her tangled hair with a grimace. "Goodness," she murmured, hissing sharply through her teeth when the fingers she had pushed back her hair with got stuck. Astoria picked a hair tie from her small basket of hair items and pulled her hair into a very messy ponytail. Tightening it, she scowled at her reflection. It served Safiya right, really, she balanced privately, if Safiya wanted her in a good mood, why send up Trinket? Why not Drippy, Morrice, or even do the job herself? Surely it would only be common sense to know that sending the most irritating and grouchy house elf would only make for an irate and grouchy mood?

Astoria slouched down the hall barefoot, listening as the echo of her bedroom door slowly clicking shut followed her down the stairs. The three house elves were busy organising flower arrangements to notice her walk by, Morrice sniping very harshly at Trinket for misbehaving, earning a phlegmy spit in retaliation. Astoria grimaced and silently thanked the Lord that she wasn't a few feet closer to them, not wanting the morning of her birthday to be spend covered in House Elf mucus.

Safiya was speaking before she had even crossed the threshold of the dining room. "Ah, has the birthday girl decided to grace me with her presence?" The way she spoke made Astoria felt like she had slept until the depths of the afternoon rather than rising before any of her siblings before, and a quick look at the grandfather clock confirmed it, eight in the morning.

"Good morning," she greeted with a smile, reaching the table and pulling out a chair, ignoring the very steely look she was receiving. Safiya tapped her teaspoon against her cup twice and set it down with a clatter, watching very closely as Astoria lifted the teapot and poured tea into a clean cup.

Safiya sniffed, a sure sign that she wished to say something disapproving and would do so without needing much encouragement. All Astoria had to do was wait. Any second now.

"So, can I send out word that you have given up on trying to look the slightest bit presentable?"

Astoria wasn't able to stop herself from rolling her eyes. " _You_ were the one that sent _Trinket_ to wake me – what more could you expect?" Safiya's nostrils flared but that was the extent of emotion that she displayed on her face, asides that, her eyes remained cool and her mouth had stayed in a straight line. Astoria picked up her teacup and sipped.

"If blaming others for your own mishaps is what gets you by, my sweet, then by all means continue to do so – but when it comes to _me_ , I'd rather you accept your own wrongdoings and make it much easier on the both of us," Safiya lifted her cup to her lips and arched a brow as she drank, not dropping her eyes from Astoria's, who was the first to look away, looking out of the window and staring off into the distance. "I got a letter from Lorelei this morning – she can't make it; your grandmother's sister is in Greece for a surprise visit. Ever so _wonderfully_ timed, don't you think?"

Astoria rolled her eyes and shrugged, not wanting to say anything that would feed into Safiya's conspiracy that the Greengrasses not based within the United Kingdom were very much on the side of Halcyon's movement of repenting everything the two girls owned for not being under the care or influence of the rightful Greengrass heir. It was nothing more than ridiculous paranoia in Astoria's mind, she suspected that Safiya was silently weary of her Greek relatives deciding that enough was enough and taking her and her sister into their care full-time, stripping them from every form of contact that they had with their step-mother for good.

However mad Safiya's thought process was, Astoria couldn't help but feel a little hurt by the easy dismissal her aunt and grandmother had to her own birthday. They'd surely make up for it in some grand, guilt-induced gesture that would make her forget all of the momentary pain she had felt. She had expected something big for Daphne (who's party none of the extended Greengrasses had attended at what Astoria had expected to be her own will with very successful planning), but everything would go way beyond her expectations if they felt like they had to make it up to the both of them.

"Fret not, birthday girl," piped up Safiya, sounding incredibly forced and chipper, "your uncle and his wife will be here. I haven't heard from Indira so I can only assume she shall be, too – bad manners isn't something I often associate with her."

Astoria could sense that this was supposed to be something to lift and brighten her spirits, but the effect was quite the opposite. Letting the man who had quite happily burned down the other Greengrass properties in the UK into the only bit of land he had not been so successful in getting to must be quite the risk – a risk Astoria did not want to chance at all, especially with her grandfathers presence no longer a safety barrier. Hyperion was possibly the only being in the world brave and strong enough to coax Halcyon out of a thunderous rampage, being the only one that Halcyon feared and respected had that effect. She could only hope that the attendance of Lucius Malfoy – who had the ability to command every room he was in and had power over all, even those who he had not yet met – could manage to be as intimidating as that if her Grandfather, after all, they did both possess the vast amounts of power and gold, maybe something that Halcyon himself would view as admirable.

/ / /

"Your earrings are pretty," Rose's head dangled off the edge of Astoria's bed, her hair tickling the ground and making Astoria rather pleased that Morrice had given her room an in-depth cleanse while she ate breakfast.

"You can borrow them if you like," she unhooked them from her ears and set them down onto a small tray, leaning up close to the vanity, holding another pair up by her ears to see what they would look like on. "What do you think? The diamond dangly ones that sparkle when I walk or the pearls?"

Rose's nose scrunched and her face started to go a deep shade of red as all the blood started to run to her head. She lifted herself up and pressed her cheek against the satin black pillow. "You'd really let me borrow them? They're _diamonds_ , Astoria, you'd really throw them about willy-nilly?" Astoria frowned unable to see what the big deal was. It wasn't as if she had picked them out herself or bought them with her own money – they were the earrings she had received from Blaise three Christmases prior, after he had 'accidentally' crushed her favourite headpiece beyond repair and was forced by his own mother to apologise in the best way he knew how – materialistic gifts. "And go with the dangly ones."

"Of course I'd let you borrow them, just don't break them," she watched Rose through the mirror as she rolled off her bed gracelessly and dragged herself towards the vanity, balling a large heap of her dress into her fists. She let out a loud gasp, dropping her fabric and reached towards the open red box with goblin markings, hovering a hand over the matching necklace and earrings made of some sort of element she hadn't ever heard of. "Oh, _Merlin_ , I wish I was you!"

"it's just a gift I received for Valentine's Day – I don't even really care for them." It wasn't the strictest of truths, but she hoped that Rose would get the idea that it was a subject she didn't want to linger upon and drop sooner rather than later. Instead, it did quite the opposite – Rose looked rather offended and put off by her aloof attitude. "What?" snapped Astoria rather cruelly.

"Entirely goblin crafted and you _don't care?_ "

"It's not that I don't care," retracted Astoria hastily, "it's just I've seen prettier jewels!" It had to be her biggest lie of the day, the moment she had laid eyes upon then contents of the primly wrapped box on Valentines morning she had spent minutes straight staring open-mouthed in total and complete shock.

"Oh to be dazzlingly rich!" Rose squalled with a maniacal laugh, swiping her loaned earrings from the countertop and threating them into her ears without assistance from the mirror. Astoria smiled, biting her tongue to stop herself from commenting on the very strong illusion of wealth that Safiya had surrounded herself and her children with since the passing of Harrison Greengrass. "When does everyone arrive? Do you think I'd have the time to put on make-up? If you'd let me borrow yours, that is, of course," but Rose's hand was already rummaging in the bag of products that lay half spilt on its side.

"In about a quarter of an hour," she responded, using Rose's distraction as the perfect opportunity to snap close the red box to hide the gift that was beginning to make her feel rather guilty. Rose huffed and pouted childishly, retracting her hand slowly. "I have hair diamantes that you can clip in if you want them, though – that won't take long."

"Are you putting some in?" asked Rose with slight hesitance, as if she were slightly on edge to be accepting yet another returnable thing from her.

"No," replied Astoria bluntly, "they'll clash with my earrings. Sit down and I'll put them in for you –they'll look nice with the front bits of your hair pulled back." Rose looked hesitant and unsure so Astoria stood and forced Rose into her freshly vacated seat herself. Silently, she brushed back the front few inches of Rose's hair back with her fingers, not worrying about the small tugs she encountered. "Pass me two butterfly clips," she ordered, holding her hand out expectantly. She watched Rose's pasty white hand fumble with the hair-pieces. Astoria took then and clipped them tightly into the back of Rose's hair, securing the two twists and ignoring the hiss of pain the came from below her as the teeth of the clips dug into her scalp. She got the diamantes herself, eyeing the look of disdain she was receiving.

Just as she was fastening the third and final jewel on the right of Rose's head, a sharp knock came from behind the wall and the door creaked open. Blaise looked rather charming in his dress robes, his fingers tickling at the top of his collar, eyes darting around her room, scanning over every out of place item. They eventually landed on the extra presence and his tense form eased up.

"Mother wants you downstairs, Astoria. Guests should be arriving any second," as if aligned by the Gods, the first rumble of the Floo shook the foundations of the building punctuated his statement. His question went unasked but if it could be judged by the red-hot blush that rose to Rose's face, he didn't need to ask it. "She wrote this morning and asked if we could get ready together, is that a problem, brother?" Astoria asked hotly, staring him down fiercely. Blaise smiled easily and gave a lazy shrug, backing his way out of her room and disappearing down the hallway leaving the door wide open. "Come on," she beckoned, grasping at Rose's shoulder and smiling tightly at her reflection, "let's go down."

Rose's mouth opened as if to say something but whatever it was she wanted to say or ask, she decided against it and her mouth clamped closed. She smiled back and stood from the chair at the vanity, letting Astoria's hand fall from her shoulder.

/ / /

 **I think this is becoming a running theme – I say I'll update soon and then I don't. And I'm going to be repeating the same thing again, but I have the majority of the next chapter written, I just have to finish the rest and edit before I can post it. Originally I was going to have it as one long chapter but it started getting too long and before I knew it I was 11,000 words deep and just over three-quarters of the way through. Until next time, which will be a lot sooner I'm hoping.**


	16. Chapter 16

To say that Astoria felt used was a little bit of an understatement. This political statement – the Greengrasses/Zabini household reinstating their allegiance to the Dark Lord – combined with allowing former Death Eaters to roam the Greengrass Estate halls, cornering politicians, chatting them up and attempting (and most likely succeeding) to gain their word all hidden under the guise of a thirteenth birthday party. If anything, Astoria's a little miffed that she hadn't clocked on when the dress Safiya wanted her to wear was black, detailed emeralds and dawned the Greengrass crest. That should have been what gave it all away, not the fact that she had paled with realisation when the Minister strolled through the front door, wife on his arm, eyes scanning the room at large.

Astoria had looked to Daphne, but she seemed oblivious. As to be expected, she thought curtly. Daphne laughed and spoke brightly about the multiple fabrics in her dress with an old dressmaker.

(Perhaps that should have been another clue? Because since when did Astoria actually care about retired biddies who made their last dress when she wasn't even a thought of existence? _Merlin_ , how many clues had she actually overlooked?)

Rose stuck to her elbow. Hand wrapped tightly around the fabric that rested there, gripping so tightly that it was almost as if she thought if she were to let go Astoria would vanish into thin air. With Safiya around, urging Astoria to greet every single guest in attendance, Rose's potential fear really wasn't unwarranted.

She watched two hired elves collect the coats of the family who tumbled through the fireplace with as much dignity as one could, straightening her back and plastering on a smile. "The Sanderson's," she said lowly for the benefit of Rose, who nodded seriously. It was a surprise that she wasn't carrying around parchment and quill, noting down the things she learned about each member to then use to her advantage.

She walked to them before Safiya could harp on about her manners, Rose taking long strides to keep up.

"Miss Greengrass!" Aluna Sanderson grinned, moving forward and kissing Astoria on both of her cheeks, "my, you've grown since we last spoke!" Astoria seriously doubted that – they had bumped into each other in Diagon Alley, Safiya carting her around purely because she believed that wondering to the cliffs with a book wasn't _acceptable plans for a teenage girl_ , and that was only the previous week. But Astoria smiled anyway.

"This is my friend, Rose," she introduced, noticing the rather predatory glances Aluna's son – and only child – was throwing her way.

"Rose Rosier," Astoria was thankful that she had remembered herself, didn't turn into a blushing mess like she had with the first two sets of guests – one of which included Nicolai's family who Rose had met upon multiple of occasions – they greeted. "Pleasure to meet you!"

"Yes, yes," Aluna couldn't look more disinterested and it showed a lack of class and manners on her part to even let it show, "how do you do?" She turned, not waiting for any more pleasantries to pass between them, and loudly exclaimed the name of some poor woman, running off in her direction, son under her arm and a glass of champagne now in her hand.

"Rosier, eh?" Finigus, Aluna's elderly and impeccably wealthy husband, leered. Rose smiled and nodded, not quite grasping at the air of hostility and superiority that now hung very heavy between them. "How's your dad?" It was a bold assumption to assume that it was Rose's father up in Azkaban but an entirely correct one. It certainly showed on Rose's face. She shut down, the look of delight and excitement she had dawned since the opportunity of being carted around like she was worth something to a single person in that room completely gone. Her face blank, posture stiff and grip on Astoria's elbow lax, near gone.

Anybody who was anybody knew that those who got caught in operation with the Dark Lord and sent to Azkaban weren't _worthy_ , the entire mass of them, no matter how loyal, seen as having been picked apart as some grand scheme of natural selection that the Dark Lord himself had put into place, not able to wait for his second rising, their family name dragged through the mud. The Rosier's weren't an exception of this, even if Rose's father had successfully evaded imprisonment for close to three or four years. Rose didn't speak of her father much, or her family at all, really, but when she did, she spoke like he was still there. It had taken Astoria nearly an entire year to figure out that he was in Azkaban, serving life.

"How's your wife?" Astoria fired, feeling incredibly riled, "she's not with you tonight, why's that?" The smug look Finigus sported fell immediately and Astoria just smiled innocently. "I hope she's feeling well."

"Happy birthday, Miss Greengrass." Finigus left with a curt nod and nothing more.

"He was out with his mistress when I saw him last," she explained lowly, turning her head towards her shoulder to muffle her voice, "about a year ago in Frankfurt. He made a joke to Draco's father that he didn't appreciate and Lucius spoke for an hour about how he treats his mistress better than he ever has his wife. That the places he goes to in Europe he pretends they're married." Rose says nothing, looks down at her fingers and looks rather bashful.

"Hey," Astoria muttered lowly, "he doesn't get to say those things and get away with it. Not in front of me."

Rose opened her mouth and Astoria wondered if she's going to refute that. But she doesn't. Instead, she says blankly, "Draco just arrived," and Astoria wants the ground to swallow her up whole.

He looks older, wrapped in form-fitting black robes, the Malfoy crest embedded in what could only be the finest thread, although she wouldn't have to even look at them up close to just know that. His hairs slicked to the side and the ring on his finger that Astoria can remember throwing at his face one morning as they sat under the apple tree at his manor is glistening brightly on his finger. He looks bored, to put it lightly, like three seconds into the party supposedly in her honour and he's already _bored of it_. She tries to not let that hurt, can't help but feel a slight sting.

As if by fate, or, more to it, something much crueller, the front door opens and in strolled her aunt Indira alone with Halcyon who's accompanied by his wife, Denitsa. Indira's mouth was curled, not in an unpleasant manner, but in an, _I'm better than pretty much every single person here_ manner and that's probably worse. Her robes – a light, glittering shade of blue – hugged at every curve to her body, something that would most definitely draw the attention of male eyes, and it's probably what she had hoped for.

Halcyon looked no different than he had the previous summer – skin dark, stubble well maintained into that "I don't care" style when it's really clear that he actually does, brows wild and expressive, hair peppered and short. He dominated the room immediately, that much was evident. He certainly played into that part, his lips curled into a near-permanent leering grin; shoulders squared back so he stands tall; chest pushed out ad muscles clear even under the layers he had bundled himself in. He had never done well with the cold.

Denitsa, well, she looks older. The years had done her well in the past, her skin was always clear, face always pretty, hair always long and luscious, but time was catching up. It wasn't a mystery, after all, being wed to who must be the most flighty, narcissistic, downright _mean_ man in all of history for nearly twenty years and having a son who aspires to be just like his father was bound to take a toll at one point or another. Yet, in saying that, she could still easily make it into the top five most gorgeous women in the entire estate for the night.

She's drawn into herself, looking the mousiest out of the three, yet her chin is still held high, portraying the image of an upper-class socialite like nobody's business. She looks the kindest out of them, the only one not looking put off by the company she is with at large or disgruntled about being out of hot weather. She catches Astoria's eye and positively lights up, grinning so wide that it's actually infectious.

Astoria quickly weighs out her options – she can greet the Malfoy's first, smile falsely in their presence, pretend that the smile and congratulations she'll get from Draco isn't what it is (fake, oh so _fake_ ), feel like an absolute fool for wearing the jewels he had gotten her, feel like more of a fool when he wouldn't even notice. Or she could go to her family, greet them and be ridiculed by Halcyon the entire time, hurt her brain trying to keep up with the flow of the conversation that would be in anything but English and have to explain Rose's presence while trying not to make it sound like she was talking about her.

She looked to the Malfoy's briefly, watching Narcissa smile and Lucius look impassive as per usual and Draco look plain old bored. Her stomach knotted and before she could even start to think about what she was doing, she was walking off in the direction of Denitsa's smiling face. Rose rocked under Astoria's pressing need to cross the room and she stared back at the Malfoy's with a look of confusion.

"Niece!" Halcyon crowed, to the unknowing looking the part of a doting, loving uncle but to Astoria, she could see the fire in his eyes, the hostility and strife in his tone that was hidden incredibly well. Just not well enough. And she had predicted right, his words were Greek, and he looked to her eagerly for a response.

"Uncle," she bid with a sharp grin, "welcome!" Halcyon did not look put off by her ability to take this in stride, and if anything he actually looked like she was playing right into his hands. She could feel the confusion rolling off of Rose in large sums but she couldn't afford to address it. "Who's your friend, Astoria?" His tone was light, yet his eyes accusing, contradicted by the bright smile on his lips. Neither Indira or Denitsa said anything, just smiled and let the conversation happen.

"This is my best friend from school. Her family are important, here," Astoria prefaced with only a hint of a lie, "this is Rose." Rose perked at the sound of her name amongst the words she couldn't understand. "Rose, this is my uncle, Halcyon, his wife, Denitsa and my aunt Indira."

Rose smiled politely, curtseyed kindly and Halcyon's eyes lit up.

"She looks like she was dragged up by the roots of her hair – how _important_ did you say her name was?" Halcyon had the decency to smile politely, pretend not to be talking her down to her face, and Rose masks her confusion and need to know what had been said very well.

"Important," Astoria repeats through gritted teeth.

"Hal isn't so comfortable speaking in English," Indira says on behalf of her brother, smiling kindly at Rose, who beams appreciatively, thankful to now be able to understand something. "He was just complimenting your robes," Indira continues and Astoria can feel red-hot rage soar through her spine, with context understanding that this was Indira's own way of agreeing, that she also doesn't believe the hype of Rose's family descent. She can't act on it, and that's probably exactly how they wanted it.

"Thank you!" Rose gushes, truly looking beyond thankful and it makes Astoria's heart hurt.

"What does a man have to do to get a drink around here?" Halcyon asks gruffly, eyes scouring around the people in search of something, no doubt, alcoholic. Indira looks relaxed, probably happy that he's content to mutter his rudeness in a language spoken by very few people in attendance, that he's decent enough to pretend that he's saying something nice rather than rude and in bad taste. "In Greece, there's a drink in your hand before you've set foot in the house!" he crows, "that's what good hospitality looks like."

Astoria wants to admonish him, snap cruelly about his behaviour since nobody else seems to want to do it, but she eyes the heavy wand Halcyon has nestled under his belt, remembers his arsenal of offensive spell work and decides to keep her mouth firmly closed.

It appeared that with each passing second that there's nothing for him to drown his sorrows into he just gets more riled. He clears his throat harshly, bringing phlegm to the front of his mouth and Astoria doesn't doubt for a single second that he'd spit it on the ground – but he's stopped when Denitsa puts her small hand on his large arm and he stares down at her tiny frame in heated confusion.

"Darling," she says softly, speaking English that Rose seems again thankful for, even if her accent is heavy and her English broken "your coat. That poor house elf has been trying to get your attention for a while, now!" And true enough, Morrice is hobbling at Halcyon's feet, eyes wide and frightful.

Muttering deeply under his breath, he removes his outer layer, drops it over Morrice's frame and shivers comically as the cool English air has fewer layers to penetrate. Impressively, the House-elf doesn't flinch or drop to the ground in a heap under the weight of the heavy fabric, instead, she waits patiently for Denitsa's outer layer and only then does she vanish with a pop.

Halcyon didn't look nearly as large now, shoulders deflating with either the recognition that his wife had just spoken him down publicly for everyone to understand, or maybe even the fact that the shoulder pads in his coat were gone, dripping over Morrice and now stowed in the cloakroom. Whatever it was, Astoria didn't care, because she could get away without his heavy eye.

"I'll see you around – there's more guests I have to welcome but I'll find you later!" she promised, reaching and placing a hand on Denitsa's arm. A silent thank you if there ever was one. Not giving them time to reply, Astoria turned, eyes scanning over the crowds for luminescent blonde, severely disappointed when it seemed that the Malfoy's were coming her way.

Narcissa raised her hand, offered a smile that Astoria had to return, cursing on the inside with the realisation that she couldn't leave. No, she'd have to stay there, be a subject to Draco's boredom, Lucius' fanatics, Narcissa's _whatever_ , Halcyon's personality, Indira's apparent impassiveness as long as the conversation wasn't in English, and Denitsa's – well, she would be the only tolerable one. The odds had never been more stacked against her.

"Astoria! Happy birthday, my sweet," Narcissa bundled her in a hug before she even had the chance to react, squeezing her with unnecessary force and kissing her cheeks three times over. It was a lot, perhaps too much (so much that Astoria inhaled a little to check for traces of alcohol because that could be the only explanation, right? But there was none, and it was back to the drawing board), and she was left in the situation of having to return it with just as much enthusiasm, much to her chagrin.

"Thanks," she murmured into the folds of Narcissa's robes – deep emerald and Astoria couldn't help but be a little turned off at the fact that their outfits went well together, prayed to Merlin and all the other Gods that it wasn't intentional – and upon release, eagerly sought out Rose's hand and held it tightly.

"Draco put your present amongst the others," Narcissa tells her with a blinding smile that Astoria pinned as suspicious. "And look!" she crowed, gesturing to the necklace that hangs around her neck and the earrings to match, "you're wearing your Valentines gift!" The situation as a whole felt like an out of body experience that Astoria wanted absolutely nothing to do with. Halcyon was looking at the interaction with a keen interest – which could only be _bad bad bad_ – Denitsa was chattering in Spanish with someone who Astoria had greeted about twenty minutes prior, Indira looked like she was elsewhere in her mind and only her body remained, Lucius eyed the room presumably for the Minister, Rose looked far too interested, Draco looked like he'd rather Death come and strike him, and Safiya – Safiya was heading their way looking as pleased as punch.

"Doesn't she look beautiful with it on, Draco?" And just as Astoria thought it couldn't get any worse.

"She looks…" the slight pause dragged on for what felt like absolute years, watching Draco's pale eyes eye her chest, scrape down her robes, up to her face for the slightest of seconds before dropping back down to the necklace, "fine, I guess."

Narcissa looked a little letdown with his response, like Draco had somehow gone against something she said and Astoria really wouldn't have put it past her to have coached him into saying something more kinder. Perhaps better than _fine_. The knife in her gut twisted and she pursed her lips. "Thank you," she bit out curtly, eyes narrowing when Halcyon positively _gleamed_ at the interaction.

"Halcyon!" Safiya gushed, lips pulled into a nasty grin, taking Halcyon's face in her hands and forcing a kiss onto each of his cheeks. It was rather amusing to watch him school his face into something that wasn't palpable disgust. "My, it's so wonderful to see you – it's been a _hot_ minute, hasn't it?" There wasn't a single doubt in Astoria's mind that Safiya's words were artfully picked, subtle enough to not be obvious, and yet obvious enough to have Indira tensing, Halcyon looking at her with narrowed eyes and Astoria to feel incredibly unhinged.

Safiya's grin is one that can only come from a person who thinks they have bested the room, and she was absolutely in the position to be doing so.

"You've outdone yourself, Safiya," Halcyon speaking anything but Bulgarian, Greek or Spanish was a rarity and his English was heavily accented, hard to understand to untrained ears, so much so that every ounce of criticism Astoria had gotten from him over the years about her own accent when speaking a language that wasn't her primary was incredibly hypocritical.

A still silence passed over the group, nothing to fill the void other than the mindless chatter of the other guests and the low, harmonic tune of the live orchestra off in the corner. Nobody spoke, just glanced at each other and Astoria gave Rose's hand a tight squeeze.

"Lucius Malfoy, yes?" Halcyon asked gruffly, the first person to address Draco's father within the group – not that he had minded not being under the scrutiny of everyone else, of course, for the company he was currently with was not the company he wanted to be with. Cool, chilling eyes were upon Astoria's uncle in a split second, no doubt trying to decide if he was worth the respect. "Halcyon Greengrass," his hand was forward, awaiting a shake which was granted, if a little tentative, "excuse my niece's… _unfortunate_ manners." Astoria scowled, cheeks heating at the dig.

"No issues," Lucius replied instantly, shaking Halcyon's hand firmly and almost immediately dropping it to his side, "although she is one of the most well-mannered individuals I have ever encountered."

Halcyon hummed, and Astoria couldn't tell if it was because he refused to believe the content of Lucius' statement or if maybe he just didn't understand. Whatever it was, she couldn't bring herself to care. "Come," she mutters lowly to Rose, "let's go."

Nobody seemed heartbroken that Astoria was leaving the scene, preferring to look for other people her own age rather than be stuck in a secluded area where Lucius Malfoy was speaking in her defence, Narcissa was acting like they had a relationship deeper than it actually was, Draco continued to look bored out of his skull, Indira hadn't said a single thing and everything was just – just plain old _weird_.

/ / /

The night trickled on and Astoria couldn't help but notice things.

She couldn't help but notice that the House-elves were paying particular attention to the adults – in specific, the adults who had remained "Cause leaning" during the first uprising of Voldemort, the ones who hadn't pledged their allegiance in fear that they'd lose things more important to them (see: all of their money and business assets) but were very supportive, otherwise.

She couldn't help but notice that her aunts and uncle were socialising more than normal which was… _unsettling_ at its absolute best. Anything Halcyon did was unsettling if she was honest with herself, but this was… this was another level entirely. Indira could be relied upon to keep to herself when out of her usual crowd and not in a bad way, either. Indira knew what and who she liked and the English wizarding crowd just weren't that. It was that plain and simple. So when she's laughing joyously at something a crowd of English wizards and witches are saying, alone, with neither Halcyon or Denitsa around to serve as her safety net, Astoria was immediately suspicious.

Lucius, despite his wariness, had latched onto Halcyon pretty much immediately after their initial encounter. The two weren't laughing or smiling with happiness, but spoke to other wizards and gave each other knowing and familiar looks that made her feel incredibly unsettled.

Denitsa made friends with the drinks table, standing by the bowl of punch and sipping idly, crowd watching and chatting happily with anyone who came near her.

She noticed that Pansy Parkinson's dress was too pink. That annoyed her.

She noticed that her mother's visit was brief, brief enough to hand her her present, kiss her on the cheek, looking skittishly around the place, claim her love and then vanish back through the fireplace in a puff of smoke.

She noticed that Nicolai had kept a distance, smiling at her shyly from where he stood with his mother, father and older brother. His family spoke to mostly former Death Eaters and Nicolai didn't stray from them once and she was forced to pretend that his absence was anything but slightly hurtful.

She noticed that Draco's behaviour, in particular, was odd. For a boy so often desperate to be in the limelight, craving the attention and approval of his father, he was aiming for quite the opposite. He sat at the table closest to the shelf of books (the ones that Safiya had out of the study because they didn't fit with the _theme_ , or, as Astoria liked to call them, the books that Safiya was happy to show guests because they were about light subjects and not dark curses, dark magic or anything of the sort), all alone and avoiding the eye of anyone who wasn't his mother ,father, Crabbe or Goyle, and the former two he only spoke with to get them to do his bidding, like fetching flutes of champagne or a singular tumbler of a dark brown liquid that Narcissa had looked disapprovingly at but when he said something – most likely cruel because it's Draco – she frowned and turned a blind eye. It looked like he was on a quest to get drunk, and if Astoria didn't know any better she may just think that he's rather fed up with being in a place where he didn't want to be. But she does know better, because it was only right around the time that Safiya had muttered in her ear that she would be expected to dance with Draco for at least an entire song, Narcissa telling her son the same thing, that he seemed to take a very deep interest in what alcoholic drinks the Greengrasses were serving their guests. The news had unsettled Astoria, too, but not enough to wallow her sorrows in expensive champagne that she didn't even like the taste of.

(Not that she'd be allowed to, anyway, not with Safiya looking her way like a dangerous predator every few minutes to ensure that she wasn't stepping a toe out of line)

"- was _definitely_ wanting to start something! So, I turned to him, and I said _excuse me, sir, but aren't you aware that Wizarding France was liberated in 1807?_ You should have seen his face!"

Astoria smiled and tittered out a laugh just like the rest of the table. Her heart wasn't in it and she had to force with a will she didn't even know she possessed to make her face look like she was, she briefly wondered if the rest of her table cared just as much about Tracey's story as she did.

While the rest at least maintained eye contact, Astoria couldn't help but silently thank her sisters friend for sitting where she did for the table where her person of interest sat was right behind her in her line of vision, albeit a little far away, his two goons nestled on the seats at either side of him, opening and closing a small trinket box that contained the statue of a fairy that danced, somersaulted and sang a beautiful song that she was gifted from Bethan (an item from her mother's hand-crafted pieces from her family-run store – allegedly her best piece that she was delighted to have the honour of giving to Astoria for such an important birthday). It was beautiful and she felt slightly disgruntled at the fact that they had gotten their hands on quite a marvellous piece – or more so at the person who had given it to them to keep them quiet. Because it was obviously Draco – who else would have the gall, the absolute _audacity_ to rake through a stack of presents that didn't belong to them just to distract the two largest annoyances in the world? Draco Malfoy, that's who.

The conversation shifted to Daphne who couldn't hold her tongue to correct the minor mistake in Tracey's history. Wizarding France was actually liberated in 1907 so everything the man said could be plausible but judging the way he allegedly looked affronted, it was all lies anyway.

Astoria forced herself to turn and keep up with the current stream of conversation, gritting her teeth through a smile, thoroughly frustrated at the loss of Tracey as a scapegoat. Without being able to look past Tracey's head to her area of focus, she was resigned to looking away or facing the consequences of a very highly-strung Pansy. It was a miracle that she hadn't been caught out for if there was one thing Parkinson was good at, it was knowing all about the attention that Draco had attracted to himself, whether it be a female taking fancy to him or anyone finding one of his comments to be rather amusing, it could be guaranteed that Pansy would know all about it.

It all circled back to the change of behaviour Malfoy was displaying; Pansy's tenseness, Astoria's fascination, how the conversation had almost no wit to it at all – everything in that moment could be blamed on him. He wanted to be alone – or as alone as he could possibly be without attracting _too_ much attention – that much was evident by the number of times Pansy had walked away from him with a look of dejection that never quite left her face as the party dragged on.

A hand resting upon Astoria's shoulder drew her out of her thoughts and even caused her to jump with mild fright. She turned, alarmed and embarrassed all at once, and sent a look of despair Rose's way. She smiled bashfully, it was the least she could do, and leaned close, lifting her hand and pointing off in the direction of the door discreetly. Astoria followed the intended direction curiously, scanning over the mounts of people for something that would warrant Rose's interest.

Standing in the miniscule amount of glory that they actually possessed were the Carrow twins, Hestia and Flora. Astoria could feel her heart plummet into her stomach at the very sight of them, then frowned as it launched into her throat as she noticed the weary and rather alarmed looks of the other guests as they also took notice of their unwanted presence. "Why are they here?" Rose asked quietly, her lips hardly moving as to not draw more attention to the elephant, or in this case _elephants_ , in the room.

It was a question Astoria wanted to know for herself. She was certain that this was not of Safiya's doing, a woman of such high calibre wouldn't dare invite the likes of the Carrow's to even a small, low profile event with not a single large name in attendance – doing so to one with guests from all over the globe of mostly upper-class names made no sense. A wildcard though she may be, Safiya could be rather predictable when the matters came to her reputation and social class.

"I have no bloody clue," Astoria huffed, casting a heavy glower in their direction. Appetite successfully ruined, she crumpled her napkin in her hand and let it fall onto her plate. It hadn't been fully stacked, just a few finger sandwiches and a couple of pieces of fruit, but it was _good_ , a wonderful distraction if she needed it and she wasn't going to force herself to eat anything for anyone. "If you'll excuse me," she excused herself politely, smiling Daphne's way when she looks a little concerned but she can't dwell upon that, not when there are more pressing matters at hand.

She left the table hastily, careful to not draw too much attention to herself as she crossed the room, immersing herself amongst the sea of people, smiling and nodding at each person who insisted on making eye contact.

She was almost at the Carrow's when a hand stops her – something she won't be able to not associate with terrible, terrible news, now, since when Rose had last done it, it was to alert her of the home invasion. The hand turns her around and she nearly fell to the ground in shock as Draco stood before her, face pinched and looking to be in incredible pain.

"Oh," she said softly, mouth dropping open. Apparently, this night would be laced with all sorts of surprises, mostly of the bad kind.

"Dance," is all Draco said. Astoria didn't have the chance to respond before Malfoy grabbed tightly at her hand, leading (more like _dragging_ , in all honesty) her to the large array of dancing couples and she couldn't help but feel terrible misplaced. There were Pansy's parents off in the distance, Bethan's brother and a pretty looking girl, Aluna Sanderson's son with a rather put-out looking woman, and the list goes on. An area mostly consisting of love-struck – or at the very least, lust-struck – individuals, and then there's Draco and Astoria.

Draco looked like he'd rather be dancing with anybody other than her, maybe even Harry Potter, and Astoria probably looked about much the same, although at least she was trying to smile and look like she was having a somewhat enjoyable time, that she wouldn't rather be back at her table and budding it up with the Carrows, who, with a confirmation look over Draco's shoulder, had disappeared.

The music died down and the people who had been paying attention to it clapped obnoxiously. The Orchestra's papers rustled and moved around, giving the musicians something different to play and Astoria prayed to the Heavens that it wasn't cripplingly slow.

The Heavens answered her, although they don't give her the satisfaction of it being anything that a choreographed dance can go to, so Draco settled for the next best thing. He put one hand almost timidly on her waist, his other one grabbing hers. She settled her free hand on his shoulder and inched forwards, because the foot and a half gap between them wasn't at all becoming and if there was one other thing she did not need it would be gossip columns discussing the state of their relationship. Or lack of it.

"You can at least look me in the eye, you know," Astoria grumbled after twenty seconds of complete silence and very blatant avoidance, "you won't turn to stone."

Taking this as a challenge, Draco moved his head to stare at her head on. Astoria glowered, keeping up with his enforced eye contact, hoping and almost praying that he'd be the first to crack, but if that day proved anything, it was that nothing was going to go her way. She averted her gaze first, feeling a hot blush crawl up her neck and rest at her cheeks. Draco's smarmy, smug grin was visible even though she was looking completely to her right and she might have stood on his toes, but she doesn't expect that he can't prove that it wasn't an accident.

"Merlin, you're detestable," Astoria said, jaw clenching with untameable annoyance. Draco's brow quirked but he said nothing in retaliation, and if anything that just provoked her more. "I thought we cleared the air?"

Draco sniffed, drawing her closer so he's looking over her shoulder without being right in her line of sight and his arm curls more around her back, hand resting at the bottom of her spine. Astoria rolled her eyes maybe a little more dramatically than the situation may have called for and adjusted her arm so it wasn't squashed uncomfortably between them.

They stay like that, stepping in small circles, copying the rest of the crowd and trying desperately to ignore the small amounts of attention that was drawn their way simply for existing very closely together. Into the second minute of the song Draco readjusts himself with the slightest of movements – possibly a result of some sort of misstep, she doesn't think he'd want to be closer intentionally – and the remainder of the song is spent feeling Draco's breath stirring the hairs on the back of her neck.

The song ended and Malfoy's limp hand fell from her and he stepped away. He lingered, fingers pausing awkwardly by her hip and he stared, rather obviously, with an unreadable look that Astoria wasn't so sure she wanted to pin an emotion to. "Astoria –" he paused, inhaled sharply and shook his head, hand moving away from her entirely. "Happy birthday."

There's something in her gut that tells her that whatever Draco was going to say before he had reminded himself of whatever, _happy birthday_ was not it. She watched him turn swiftly, step around a dancing couple and she battled with her gut and mind – gut telling her to seek him out again, _demand_ to know what he was going to say, demand a few other things, too, and her head, probably the more logical side, telling her to just return to her table and forget it entirely. Try again maybe in a month and then ask for answers.

She was taking off after him before the debate could even be properly hashed out, walking briskly and calling out his name, pretending not to notice the way he picked up his pace. "Draco! Drac – excuse me, sorry – Dr – thank you – Dra – _Malfoy_ , for goodness sake just _stop_!" Astoria reached forward, grasped at the back of his collar as he made an attempt to sidestep, trying to avoid storming noticeably past his father. A mistake on his part, because Astoria would have avoided Lucius (and by extension, Halcyon) under any circumstances.

He hissed sounding oddly animalistic but didn't put up much of a fight when she pushes him behind a column, keeping a hand intertwined with the fabric of his collar and stepping close. "What's your problem?"

" _My_ problem?" Draco thundered back, cheeks tinting red with fury and he tries to regain as much of his composure as possible, flattening his hands down his front and seemed to be trying with all of his might to forget that he was being kept there against his will. "Make a habit of chasing people down and accosting them into talking with you, do you, Greengrass?"

Astoria let out a sigh and rolled her eyes with her entire body, " _you're_ the one not speaking to _me_ ," she reminded him pointedly, "I just want to know why."

"I'm not –"

"What have I done wrong?" she hated the fact that she sounded so miniscule, like a small child desperate for approval. In many ways that analogy is not wrong. "I thought we – whatever I've done, I'll fix it." She could see it in his eyes just how much her honesty was freaking him out, making him five different kinds of uncomfortable.

He schoolws his face into a characteristic sneer, but it didn't reach his eyes and he didn't look to be so invested. "Does that make you sad?" his tone was mocking and rather cruel, but there was something prodding at Astoria's insides that told her that he would have been beyond ecstatic to hear any variation of a yes from her. So she said nothing, just ran her tongue across her lips and pouted childishly.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "It's not you," his tone had an oddly soft edge to it and if anything, that made her feel slightly queasy and on-edge, "you've done nothing," there was a bitter edge to that particular statement and she couldn't help but frown. "Go and enjoy your party, Greengrass."

"No," she retorted sternly, flexing her hand into his robes, propping her other hand on her hip. "Tell me what I've done, okay? Tell me and I'll leave you to – to do whatever it is you're doing."

" _Nothing_ ," Draco reiterated forcefully and he finally brought up a hand and curled it tightly around Astoria's wrist. He didn't tug or try anything else to get her to leave him alone, just left his it there and Astoria straightened. She could only assume that he was trying to play a game of chicken, staring her out intensely with a tight hold, trying to make her break.

She narrowed her eyes; you don't grow up with Blaise Zabini and not learn how to stand your ground.

Time dragged on, almost entirely stagnant and her only grounding point that it wasn't actually the case was the two lines of music that the orchestra had played through – she could remember almost note for note every song played from her musical classes. Draco swayed forward halfway through the second bar of the third line and their forearms pressed together to the point that it was actually a little uncomfortable. He was close enough, now, that she could smell the Malfoy's hand soap and the light spritz of nice, expensive smelling aftershave he had probably worn to feel more mature. It vaguely reminds her of Lucius' that he'd leave behind in a light trail when he'd walk away, and it really wouldn't surprise her if it actually did belong to him.

She became a little self-conscious if he could smell _her_ , racking her mind, trying to remember if she had put on deodorant, if she had put on her expensive perfume rather than the cheaper one she had gotten from Bethan for Christmas a year ago, and if she had lathered herself with the rose body wash or the lavender one.

His eyes moved from hers, dropping down to her lips, her chin, her nose, just roaming her face and taking in every detail. She stilled, unsure of what to do because she _can_ see all of Draco's features in a greater detail, no longer does he look near identical to his father – all angles and cruel, unforgiving – but there's actually a lot of Narcissa. Light freckles dotted across his cheeks and nose; a ring of blue a few shades darker around his pupils that match Narcissa's to an absolute T; their lips are the same shape and their eyebrows have the same arch and definition. He's a lot more trimmed and well-kept than his father, Astoria supposes, although she wouldn't be surprised if that was just his genes from Narcissa and the rest of the Black family. They did all have a knack for being spectacularly groomed, she wouldn't be surprised if it could all be pinned down to genetics.

His grip went near limp around her wrist, barely holding on and she retaliated with much of the same thing. Astoria dropped her grip on his collar, kept her hand flat on his shoulder, watching as Draco's brows twitched and his head inched forward and tipped to the side, almost curious and cautious. He leaned closer, just barely but the slight movement was enough so they're centimetres from being pressed against each other and if she focused hard enough, she could hear his gentle breaths.

"Tell me," she said quietly on an exhale and Draco's features went hard and closed. He opened his mouth and she could practically see the words crawling up his throat, catching on the tip of his tongue. "Please." Begging seemed to appeal to the more primal side of him, the part that wants to constantly be appeased and yearned for and he let out a soft breath that she could feel fan across her face.

"I'd be lying if I said that seeing you –"

A loud crash sounded from the main room and Astoria flinched backwards as it carried backwards, echoing off of the empty walls. She stepped to the side, looking into the mass of people who had already started to dive for cover and her heart sank something terrible when she saw Halcyon standing in the centre, wand flourishing in all directions threateningly, face red with rage and fists clenched with fury.

"You lie!" he howled, waving his wand and pointing it to the tower of champagne. It exploded, glass flying in all directions and a few people yelled out. "Where _is he_! Tell me!"

" _Merlin_ ," Draco cursed under his breath, rubbing a hand at his jaw and falling back against the pillar, resting his weight on it.

Halcyon yelled again, a long sentence mixed in Bulgarian and Greek, creative curses and threats that Astoria isn't present enough to fully translate into something understandable. Halcyon waved his wand three more times, pointing it at each of the large paintings of Greengrass ancestors that crumble to piles of ash on the ground.

In a flurry of fabric and rage, he grabbed at Lucius Malfoy by the buttons of his robes and held him close, wand point pressed deep into his neck. Lucius was brave and unwavering, Astoria would give him that, he barely flinched as Halcyon spoke lowly at him in what she would put money on being low huffs of animalistic noises and bilingual threats.

"Look!" Denitsa crowed, hands on her dainty hips and a scowl made of thunder on her face, "look at the scene you have caused!" She sounded a lot more fluent and direct when not speaking in English, her words flow together like they're supposed to and sound somewhat elegant despite her outrage. Halcyon had the decency to look as bashful as he could and slowly, he let Lucius go, tucked his wand into the pockets of his robes. "Put it away, serpent!" Denitsa scowls at Lucius who had started to reach for his own wand, puts his hands up innocently when he's caught. He was ushered away by Narcissa who looked through the crowds eagerly, probably in search of Draco. Astoria didn't have the mobility to warn her of his whereabouts, her limbs felt as heavy as her heart and there was a sick feeling clinging to her stomach. Her mouth was dry and she wanted nothing more than to burst into tears, storm at her uncle and bruise him like a peach for being so – so unnecessarily evil and awful.

Indira emerged, grabbed Halcyon by the arm and started to tug him towards the entrance, mouthing moving but no noise carrying as she whispered lowly at him. They didn't apologise – how un-Greengrass like that would be of them – and none of the three met or even attempted to find Astoria's eye when they drifted past her. She listened as the steely silence was interrupted by the slamming of the door falling shut, tensing instinctively. The party stayed quiet, and Astoria would bet safe money on them filing out at any given moment, whether that be by their own choice or Safiya's when she would inevitably have to say something.

Astoria closed her eyes and inhaled, held it for five seconds and then released. Her anxiety and general fear didn't lessen, and she cracked open her eyes, turned towards the pillar and Draco, hoping to find at least some comfort in their familiarity and maybe even a reassurance of _there have been worse parties, this doesn't come close to the one my father went to in seventy-nine when…_ but he wasn't there. There was just space where he had once been that's now vacant, gaping and if at all possible, it just makes her feel worse. Adding salt to her wound, from the corner of her eye she could see two distinct blobs of red and with a slight twist of her head, she confirmed that it was the Carrow twins, because apparently things _could_ get worse.

The front doors breezed open and Safiya pushed herself into the centre of the room. "You may all leave," her tone was icy, not to be messed with and it barely took seconds until the crowds were acting upon their orders. Astoria clenched her eyes closed, side stepping so she was covered from the masses of people by the pillar, willing the entire night to just be one horrific, convoluted nightmare.

/ / /

 **Once again, I apologise for taking so long. I just got really in my head about my writing and everything I wrote just didn't seem good at all and it frustrated me because I knew I could do better. So I took a break from writing altogether until I got the unquenchable urge to write again from some reviews some lovely readers left me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, this chapter was written in about three days (including a re-write and heavy editing because apparently my new writing style is present tense rather than past!) because I was so excited for it.**

 **I'm not going to make any promises about when I'll have the next chapter out, but there will be one. I'll plan it when I can and write it up when I have the time, I promise.**

 **And let me know what you all think of this, there's a few things I'm planting seeds for things to occur well down the line and I'd love to hear if any of you can figure it out!**


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